


Silk and Sand

by LordofKavaka



Series: Secrets [1]
Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: Angst, Declarations Of Love, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Marriage Proposal, Mistaken Identity, POV Female Character, Public Nudity, Public Sex, Rape Role-play, Romance, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship, Sexual Slavery, Slave Trade, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-20
Updated: 2011-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 20:51:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/312067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordofKavaka/pseuds/LordofKavaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering the inner storm of the Con Dar within, Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor, is captured and separated from her Seeker. Alone, and without her powers, she must do whatever is necessary to survive. -Post 1x11 CONVERSION-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Found this unfinished on my computer. Judging from the date, I wrote it after I saw Season 1 for the first time and had read Wizard's First Rule and started Stone of Tears. So, I went back to it, reworked it a bit and finished it. Hope you all enjoy. (Originally posted on FFN)

Kahlan opened her eyes with a start, wondering what had happened and where she was. The last thing she remembered was a band of marauders rushing into their campsite and attacking them. Richard had screamed her name, but then everything had gone black. Letting out a groan, she shifted, reaching up to put a hand on her aching head—she had, no doubt, been struck over the head and knocked out. But as she moved her hand, she felt something metallic around her wrist, chaffing against her skin. Blinking in the dim light, she looked down seeing her hands shackled. Her eyes grew wide and her heart immediately began to pound with anxiety and fear. Where was Richard? That was the first thing that popped into her mind.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself with deep breaths. They had been having such a good time. With Zedd away, looking for a place to hide the Box of Orden, she and Richard finally had some alone time, though she knew that that was just as dangerous as anything else. Having discovered the revelation of the awesome power that lurked beneath the surface, the Con Dar, Kahlan had to be even more vigilant in her dealings with Richard.

Added to that, having endured the Wizard Giller's experiment, which had brought the Blood Rage to the surface, Kahlan had to finally confront all the suppressed feelings that she had for Richard. It was an experience that was overwhelming, to say the least. But part of her felt better for having finally openly admitted them. Now that they knew how each other felt, they no longer had that cloud hanging over them. However, a new cloud had come, one that was a constant reminder of everything they could not do or have. Kahlan could never love Richard in the way she wished, in the way a normal woman could. She could never give herself to Richard as she longed to do.

Blinking, and regaining her focus on the present situation, Kahlan looked around, determined to survive and return to Richard. If anything, she would always be by his side. What she found both appalled and terrified her. She was in a dark cell. And she was not alone. There were other women here as well; all chained to the wall, just like her. The stone was cold and she felt a chill. She looked down at herself and gasped. She was wearing nothing but a ragged shift that did little to cover her body. Where was she? And where was Richard!

The clicking sounds of the metal tumblers from the cell door drifted across the room. Kahlan looked up, narrowing her eyes. The door opened and gruff guards came rushing in. Not all the women in the room resisted as the men unlocked their chains and took them out of the cell. It appeared the some were used to this sort of treatment. One of the men approached Kahlan and grabbed her wrists. He pulled her hands up and brought out a key. She watched as he undid the shackles around her wrists. As soon as her hands were free, Kahlan rammed her hand up to his throat and let loose with her powers.

But nothing happened. There was no thunder without sound. No confession. Kahlan's eyes grew wide with terror as she realized that something was wrong. Where she normally felt the churning of her powers in the pit of stomach, there was nothing. The man scowled at her and backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling to the filthy floor. He bent down and grabbed her wrists in one beefy hand, pulling her up and tossing her over to another man, who hauled her out of the room along with the other women.

Her mind was reeling with what was going on. She did not feel a Rada'Han around her neck, so she shoved that possibility aside. Something else was going on, something that sapped her of her confessing powers. However, whatever it was that had caused this would have to wait. She needed to keep her attention on what was presently going on. The other guards were not as rough as she had anticipated, especially when she conformed to their instructions.

When she was ordered to line up with the other woman, she did as she was told. And when they were told to march, she obeyed, lowering her eyes and trying to wear her confessor's face to mask her fear. They were ushered into an opulent room with lush and lavish furniture. A reclining couch sat in the center of the room, it's frame a dark wood embedded with intricate and detailed ornamentations with gold and silver engraved into its carvings.

Reclining on the couch was a man dressed in a white and gold robe, his mannerism speaking of someone of high social standing. He stood when they entered, revealing himself to be tall and regal in his look. And he wore an expression that proclaimed superiority to all those around him. Kahlan could see slaves dressed in simple tunic hovering around in the background, staying out of the lights of the hanging braziers that lit the room. Placing his hands behind his back and straightening his shoulders, the man looked down his nose at them, as if they were worthless in comparison to himself.

Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat and took note of the other women. They all appeared to be around her age or younger. And only one amongst them would be considered homely. The majority of them were highly attractive and had beautiful features. She wondered what this place was, and were it was. But more importantly, her thoughts cried out for Richard, and her concern over his whereabouts.

The man in the white and gold robe stepped forward and smiled at them, lasciviously. His dark eyes darted towards the guards. "Remove their clothing," he ordered his men.

The guards stepped forward and quickly stripped all the women of the rags that they had been wearing. Kahlan shivered and tried to cover herself up, but hesitated when she noticed the threatening look from the guard who had backhanded her earlier. She lowered her arms to her sides and tried not to allow her emotions to show. Never in her entire life had she been so exposed before anyone other than attendants and maidservants, though she had dreamt of standing like this in front of Richard. That had been a dream, and this was not. And this man, who was looking at her, was not Richard.

The man, holding his hands firmly behind his back, began strolling up and down the line of women, his eyes scanning them like they were nothing but merchandise. That was when Kahlan realized what this place was. And who this man was. Upon realizing this, Kahlan could not help but glare at him with all the hate she could muster. This, it turned out, was not a wise thing to do, because it called his attention to her. He paused before her, and his eyes roamed her body. He reached out and touched her, allowing his fingers to slide down between the crease of her breast past her stomach and down to her femininity.

Kahlan shuddered and averted her eyes, looking away as the man felt her down there, spreading her folds and fingering her. He smiled and moved her around to take a look at her backside. His hand slide along her side and he touched her bottom, squeezing her flesh like she was a piece of produce he was inspecting at a food stall. When he spun her back around he groped her breast and ran his fingers along her nipple. Kahlan gritted her teeth and looked back at him, filling her eyes with rage, vowing to herself that she would make him pay for touching her like this. The only man she had ever wished to touch her in the places this man was touching her was Richard, and he was nowhere to be seen. The man laughed at her reaction, then stepped back and continued on down the line.

Pausing, he looked back at her and smirked. "This one might need some breaking in before she services my clients," he said, pointing a finger at her.

"We could send her to the Pit, sir," suggested a fair-haired guard, who, unlike the rest, had nicer armor. He was pacing the floor behind his employer, looking at the merchandise, mainly her. "Perhaps as a reward for one of the fighters." Though he had spoken in a cruel manner, with a pinch of mirth, Kahlan could tell that he was only joking.

However, his employer took it seriously and nodded, looking back at her, his dark eyes scheming. "Excellent suggestion, Necor," he grinned wickedly, then stepped back to look upon the rest of his property.

Necor, now identified, furrowed his brow and cast a sorrowful look towards Kahlan as if to apology. Before he could be caught, though, he hardened his expression and followed behind his master.

"Lovely ladies," the master of the house spoke up, smiling like a politician, opening his arms wide. "Welcome to the House of Betto, home of fantasies and dreams. You will all serve this House with honor and respect. When you are purchased for the night, you shall obey the wishes of the client, as long as their commands do not go against the rules I will lay out. After all, I am a businessman, and my property must be protected. If you do not obey the rules of this House, then you will find that I can be very, very unpleasant." He smirked. "Now, wash your minds of freedom, lovely girls. There is no longer such a thing. You will live to obey and fulfill my wishes. You are no longer individuals, but things. Property of the House of Betto."

Betto paused and his eyes scanned them, stopping on Kahlan.

"However, to show you that I can be a kind master," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "I shall grant you a period of three days of peace before you begin working." Betto paused and looked directly at Kahlan. "For those amongst you who are virgins, you should take this time to prepare yourself, because you shall not be able to claim that much longer." He then turned to Necor and snapped his fingers. "Take them to the baths, I shall want them cleaned and fresh for when their  _work_  begins."

Necor pounded his fist to his chest in salute and issued out orders to his subordinates. The men tossed the rags back to them and the women covered up as best they could as they were led out of the room. Kahlan clutched the ragged cloth up to her chest, trying not to breakdown. She had been captured and somehow sold as a whore. And to make matters worse, she did not have her powers, so there was no way she could defend herself. She had never known how must she had relied on that abilities until she no longer had them to protect herself. Yet, despite how awful the situation was, she thanked the spirits that she had not been sold to a pimp in one of the uglier parts of the Midlands. At least here she would be treated with some kindness, at least until she was rented out for the sick entertainment of one of Betto's clients.

As they walked past the cells, Kahlan noticed that she was not the only woman who was sighing with relief that this was not a seedy whorehouse. In such places, they would never have been given anytime to adapt to the situation and would have been thrown in with the selections almost immediately. The guards directed them to a room with a large marble pool that sunk into the floor, filled with warm water, evident by the steam that rose from the surface. The entire place was opulent and rich, leading Kahlan to conclude that this Betto was a provider of flesh to the upper echelons of society.

The bath was the largest one Kahlan had ever seen, and it was filled with women, all gossiping and chatting amongst themselves as they bathed and cleaned themselves. Her and the others were obviously the latest acquisitions. There were men stationed around the room, and they did not hide the fact that they were enjoying their guard duty, openly leering at the women as they bathed. All, except one, the fair-haired guard named Necor, that is. He stood by the door with a morose expression.

There were maidservants, dressed in simple white dresses, standing by the steps leading down into the pool. They were obviously slaves as well, but were not as comely as Kahlan and the rest and had thus been selected as servants instead of pleasure toys. The maidservants took their rags as they walked single-file into the room. Kahlan hugged her arms as she followed the other women down the marble steps and into the warm pool, allowing the heat to seep into her body, desperately trying to think of a way out of this place and back to Richard.


	2. Chapter 2

The world was dark, warm and wet. Kahlan blinked her eyes opened and looked around. The heated water in the pool was comfortable and soothing, and she felt like she needed a good wash. She was filthy, not to mention the fact she wanted to cleanse herself after that man had touched her. The glowing braziers cast the room in a low glow, yet gave off enough light to see by. Kahlan searched the faces of the other women, looking for a friendly one. From most of the blank stares she saw, Kahlan guessed that many of these unfortunate women were veterans of this sick business.

About a dozen or so were like Kahlan, fresh and new, having just been captured or sold. And from some of the trembling and shaking she glimpsed, Kahlan guessed that she was not the only one who was a virgin. Finished perusing the faces of the others, Kahlan let out a disappointed breath, not finding anyone that looked altogether friendly. The veterans of this trade looked hard or out of it, and the ones like her were just too scared to death to do anything other than blindly wash themselves and do as they were told.

Alone, she sought out a spot in the corner and busied herself with washing her skin in all the places that Betto had touched her. She felt ashamed and dirty, remembering how she had done nothing to resist him. What would Richard think of her now, knowing she had just let that man grope and fondle her? Spirits, Betto had even touched her down there, between her legs. He must have felt how tight she was, and known that she was a virgin. That was the only thing she could think of that explained why he had looked at her when he told them that if they were virgins, they would not be for long.

Unable to control the building emotions inside, Kahlan let go and cried softly, cradling her head in her hands. She was not the only one to do so; she could hear the quiet terrified weeping from the other new girls. As she sobbed softly, Kahlan heard the frothing of water, indicative of someone approaching her. She sniffled and looked up, seeing a woman who looked about her age wading through the water in her direction. Kahlan wiped away the tears from her eyes and blinked. She thought she recognized her as one of the other women who had been escorted to the room with Betto in it. Kahlan chewed on her lower lip, trying to stop it from trembling, but it was difficult under the present circumstances.

"I'm knew here… are you too?" the woman asked, giving her a friendly smile.

Kahlan hugged herself and gave a weak nod.

"You must be one of the virgins, yes?" the woman questioned, looking at her with knowing eyes.

Kahlan's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to respond, yet she could not find any words. The woman gave a single nod and placed a reassuring hand on Kahlan's shoulder.

"It's all right, you don't have to tell me, I already know," the woman said. "I've been in this business long enough to be able to pick out the maidens in a crowd full of sluts. There are about six of you here. Most just arrived by the look of them."

Kahlan looked away, flushing pink, not knowing how to respond to this woman. She was obviously used to this, and was definitely one of the veterans of this terrible business. But unlike some of the others, she seemed to enjoy herself. Spirits, she had even pouted her lips suggestively at the guards before slipping her rags off and wading into the pool, wiggling her hips as she went. And, as far as Kahlan was concerned, the fact that the woman could name the exact number of virgins within this group was telling enough to her profession.

"How… how long have you been… been…?" Kahlan tried to push out her question, but she was trembling with so much fright, it was hard to say anything.

"A whore?" the woman finished Kahlan's question with a laugh. She eased up against the side of the marble bath next to Kahlan and looked up in thought. "That is a tough one… longer than I care to remember. I was like you once, terrified and alone, but I've come to accept my life." She placed a hand on Kahlan's shoulder. "Trust me, the sooner you accept this life, the better. Hey, you might even come to enjoy it at times… I know I have." She gave a wink. "Sometimes you get a client who's just right… you know, down there, and he manages to satisfy you while satisfying himself. Though, you still have to work at it. Some men just don't understand that we women need some pleasure too."

Kahlan shuddered, not for one second believing that she could adapt to this life. She was a confessor for crying out loud. Born to rule, not to serve. And there was no way she could enjoy the attentions of a man, no matter how skilled he was, unless that man was Richard. With each day she spent with Richard and Zedd in their quest to rid the Midlands of the tyrant Darken Rahl, Kahlan had grown more and more fascinated with the Seeker. And that fascination had turned into infatuation, which then turned into love. She now firmly believed that no man could satisfy her needs, even the man she would eventually have to take as a mate, because she would never do that to Richard, no matter how much she ached to be with him.

Swallowing and looking away, Kahlan could not help but feel despondent. For some reason, she was like an ordinary woman in this place… and it terrified her. She was used to being in control and having her powers. Racking her brain, Kahlan tried to think of an explanation behind the inexplicable absence of her powers. As far as she knew, there were only a handful of places throughout the entire Midlands that negated all forms of magic, and they had not been near any of those areas. Mostly, such a negative field, as the wizard's called it, was a natural occurrence. But there were places, like Rothenberg, that had had spells placed on their city walls long ago by wizards during the Great War to suppress magic.

"Ah, calm yourself," the woman said, noticing Kahlan's trembling. She wrapped her in her arms and gently rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You should be thanking the Creator for delivering you to a House such as this. At least here we are given baths, food, beds, and medical attention should we need it. I've been through many Houses, seen many Madams and Masters, and I can assure you, the House of Betto is one of the finest establishments in our business. I counted myself lucky to have been purchased by him."

"How… how can you considered yourself lucky to have been bartered and bought like an object," Kahlan scoffed. "You're a human being, not some piece of meat."

The woman shook her head. "My, my… what a mouth you have!" she paused and looked over her shoulder at the guards as they paced the room. "You should be grateful I've decided to befriend you."

"How so?" Kahlan inquired, wrinkling her nose and glancing up at the guards, trying to look for any weaknesses that she could exploit to her advantage. She might be naked, weaponless, and even powerless, but damn if she was not going to fight back when the opportunity arose.

"To survive here you shall need a friend," the woman said, backing away looking down at Kahlan, she was about an inch or two taller. She brushed Kahlan's wet hair away from her face. "And I will happily be your friend. My name's Alissia, what's yours?"

She hesitated for a moment, thinking. Kahlan did not know if it would be wise to use her real name. Spirits know what might be done to her if she was found out. There were many men who would pay anything to rape a confessor without the risk of being confessed. But that would not be the worse of it. Kahlan had heard and seen what the D'Haran quads did to confessors once they captured them. And that was not something she ever cared to experience for herself. The D'Harans would do far more things worse than rape her.

Narrowing her eyes, she searched for a name to use that would not give her away. Finding it, she looked up into the woman's eyes. "Kaya," she sniffled out, using the nickname the other children in Thandore had given her when the Sisters of the Light had taken her and Dennee after saving them from their father.

"Well, Kaya," Alissia continued, taking some soap from the holdings along the edge of the pool and helping Kahlan wash. "If you're lucky, your first client won't be a rough man. Maybe he'd even be gentle. No matter what, I'm sure you'll go for a high price, not just because of your purity—which raises your worth considerably in such an establishment like this House that has wealthy clientele—but because of your natural beauty."

Kahlan tensed, suddenly remembering where she was. Her mind screamed in anguished and horror. If she could have controlled her fate, Richard would have been her first a long time ago. Spirits, she would have probably jumped him after he had been freed from Denna, maybe even before then. By the Creator, she did not want some rich pompous man who would spend a small fortune to purchase her for an evening and take her virginity from her to be the first man she was with. If she had her way, she would only ever be with one man, and that man would be Richard.

Knitting her eyebrows together, Kahlan shook her head, knowing that even if she had not been captured by the marauders and sold as a whore to this house of flesh, she could never have been Richard's; the consequences of ever doing so were just to horrifying to think of. That dream was impossible, and she had to accept that, just as she was going to have to accept her current situation. What had Richard been telling her? It was something Zedd had told him.  _Think of the solution, not the problem_.

However, it was impossible. All she could think about was Richard. If she ever took him to her bed, she would only end up confessing him, destroying the man she loved during the very act of expressing that love. She could never do that to Richard. She loved him too much. Oh, how she wished she had told him that. Told him the truth about how she felt. But she had not. Sure, he knew, he must know how she felt, but she had never looked into his eyes—those gorgeous brown eyes—and spoken it aloud, affirming what she knew he suspected. Oh, how she longed to say those three words to him:  _I love you_.

Alissia raked her fingers through Kahlan's hair, building the soap to a nice rich lather. "Since you're new to all this, let me make a suggestion, Kaya," she said. "If I were you, I would hold my tongue, and stop giving the master defiant glares. If you continue to do so, you're likely to be sent to the Pit as a reward for one of those arena fighters. And Betto would make sure that he's a blood thirsty brute, the greatest killer amongst killers; a man who is the personification of violence."

Kahlan shuddered and closed her eyes, trying to suppress the images of being taken against her will by such a man. She kept envisioning him covered in blood and gore, ripping her into pieces as he took that which was most precious to her, that which she had long to belong to Richard and Richard alone.

"From what I've learned from those who have been with Betto for a some time," Alissia continued, massaging Kahlan's scalp. "He owns the local arena—the Pit—as well, and oversees the fighters himself. Apparently, they're kept in a facility not far from this House. Sometimes, before a big event in the Pit, some of the girls are taken there to give the fighters one more night of pleasure before what could be their last day before they meet the Keeper. And apparently, not all of these fighters are such brutes." Alissia pulled Kahlan's head back and dipped water through her hair, rinsing it of the soapy residue. "Apparently, a couple of days ago, Betto acquired a new fighter."

Kahlan's heart quickened and she opened her eyes, hoping beyond hope.

"He's very good, from what I hear," Alissia rambled on. "And handsome, according to some of the girls who have seen him. But he's a strange one. Jenn," Alissia pointed the girl out, she was very lovely with a nice figure. "Well, according to her, she was sent to him before he went into the arena yesterday. Yet he just told her to sleep in the bed. He didn't even touch her. She said it was very odd. Unlike some of the other arena fighters she has had to service, this one, well… she would have willingly pleased him, but he refused. He slept on the floor while she slept in the bed. She said she got a good night's rest, but was slightly disappointed. She would have liked to have had him."

 _Richard!_ was all Kahlan could think; she almost spoke his name, but bit her tongue, thinking better of it. This fighter Alissia was talking about just had to be Richard. She'd seen him fight with a sword and knew that he was an amazing warrior. And only Richard would refuse such an offer from Jenn, who was very beautiful in her own right.

"What is his name?" Kahlan asked.

Alissia gave a shrug. "Jenn did not know," she replied. "And the sad part about it all is that she'll never find out. He lost his bout with his opponent."

Kahlan's heart stopped. She wanted to scream and cry, tear her hair out. If Richard was dead, there was no point in living. Not just because Darken Rahl would win, but also because the only man she had ever loved was dead.

"Yes," Alissia gave a nod. "He lost to the arena champion… Rook. Now, Rook, he's an amazing fighter as well. And just as handsome as that other fellow! All the girls gossip about him. He's the master's favored right now, and gets his own quarters and such."

She had long since tuned Alissia out. Kahlan could care less about this Rook, especially if he had been the arena fighter that had killed her Richard. She closed her eyes as Alissia finished cleaning her hair, and slowly began to weep for Richard. Noticing this, Alissia pulled Kahlan into a hug and patted her back reassuringly. "There, there, Kaya," she murmured soothingly, misunderstanding the reason behind Kahlan's tears. "It'll be all right. You'll adapt. Just like us all. You'll adapt."

Kahlan closed her eyes and continued to sob, silently thankful for the comfort that this woman was giving her. If Richard had indeed been killed by this arena champion named Rook, she was going to have to do anything she could to escape and find Zedd. She trembled and shook, knowing that they'd have to name a new Seeker, if it were even possible. Alissia was right. If Kahlan were to survive in this place, she was going to need a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Dunking her head under the water, Kahlan was finished with her bath, and felt clean for the first time since she had woke up in that dark cold cell. As they filed out of the pool, each walking up the marble steps one at a time, they were greeted by the maidservants, who handed them flaxen robes. Kahlan stepped out behind Alissia, and pulled the robe over her body as quickly as possible, not liking the leering looks that some of the guards were giving her. Alissia took it differently, seeming to relish the lascivious looks the men gave her. She slipped her robe on as slow and suggestively as possible, making sure to give the men a good show. Kahlan took a deep breath and shook her head, utterly perplexed by this woman.

After departing the pool, they were ushered into a corridor and ordered to line up against the wall. It was like waiting in a queue at some food stall. Alissia was in front of her and was jabbering away about how some the new girls, the ones who were not worth a lot—unlike Kahlan and the other virgins—would be getting some "entertainment" tonight. As they proceeded down the corridor, moving one at a time, Kahlan was growing increasingly worried, since she did not recognize any of the guards. What if none of them knew that she was to be "saved" for a rich client?

They reached the front of the queue in no time. The guards standing at the threshold of the doorway eyed Alissia with lustful stares. She pouted her lips at them and parted her robes ever so slightly, giving them a glimpse at her bosom. "So, which one of you boys have what it takes to satisfy me tonight?" she asked, smirking.

The closest guard stepped forward and took her arm in his big hand and led her away. Alissia looked over her shoulder and gave Kahlan a big grin and winked. Kahlan shuddered, stepping forward, looking through the doorway into the outer room, where even more queues were being formed. It appeared that they were being separated into categories, by attractiveness and by hair color. All the blondes were in one line, all the brunettes in another, and it was the same with those with either black or red hair. Kahlan noticed only one queue with women with different hair color, and by the way they were all fidgeting and trembling, Kahlan guessed that they were the virgins.

As she stepped through the threshold, Kahlan lowered her eyes, taking Alissia's advice about not glaring at the men. She did not want to attract any attention onto herself. It was clear that some of the women were not separated out into categories and were instead being ushered into an adjacent room, where they serviced the guards. Alissia had disappeared behind the curtain leading to that room, and Kahlan could barely make out the soft groans and moans that came from there. She did not want to be taken to that room. She preferred to be placed in the queue with the other virgins.

"Look here!" one of the guards said. "This one's pretty…"

"Pretty!" scoffed the other. "You wouldn't know pretty if it came up and bit your arse! This one's a goddess! Since you don't know beauty worth you're spit, I think I'll entertain this _lady_  tonight."

Kahlan trembled when she felt the man's fingers wrap around her arm, and he began to lead her away towards the curtained room where the groans and moans were coming from. She closed her eyes and suppressed the cry that wanted to come out. She had been hoping that one of these guards would recognize her from when Betto had inspected them, since the Master of the House knew she was a virgin, not to mention he seemed to believe she was quite valuable. Alissia had told her as such. But then Kahlan began to worry that Betto had lied to them when he had told them that they would have a period of adjustment, and that his idea of adjustment was to have them broken by the guards.

"Esser! Stop! Release her!" came a commanding voice.

The strong hand around her arm let go. Kahlan trembled slightly and hugged herself, daring to look up. From the shadows in the outer room, where the women were being sorted, Necor, the fair-haired guard, stepped forward. His cerulean eyes looked over her, holding the same sorrowful look that they had held before, when she had been inspected by Betto.

"Sir?" the guard Esser, who had been leading her away, questioned, looking worried.

"How many times have I told you, Esser," Necor said, glowering at the man. "The virgins are not to be touched. We save them for the clients, as the Master commands."

Esser gave a nod. "I was unaware she was a virgin, sure she looks afraid and terrified, but I thought that was just because she was new. And… and required some breaking in."

Necor scowled and pointed to Kahlan's chest. She looked down and noticed that the flaxen robe she was wearing had a black "X" embroidered above the right breast. "You know very well that we mark the pure ones," Necor said. "We keep an eye on them from the moment they are purchased. And we make sure that they all wear the X on their chests to distinguish them from the others." He let out a frustrated breath. "Perhaps you should go back to being a guard at the Pit."

"No, please, sir, I like it here," Esser protested, quickly stepping away from Kahlan, as if to distance himself from her. "I will be more observant, I promise!"

Necor gave Esser a hard glare and then looked over at the man's comrade. "Make sure he does, Helios, or you'll be joining him back at the Pit."

Helios nodded. "You can trust me, Necor."

With a nod, Necor came over and grabbed Kahlan's arm. His hold on her was gentler than the other guards. He directed her to the queue on the far side of the room with the other girls wearing flaxen robes with an X on the right breast. Sighing with relief, she shuffled across the room and joined the other virgins. They all looked at her with big eyes, all communicating that she had just been very lucky. Kahlan nodded in agreement and hugged herself.

Slowly, with Necor's supervision, the guards finished sorting them out. Then they were told to line up single file in their respected queues to await their room assignments. Necor stood in the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, observing the entire process.

"You… you were lucky," Kahlan blinked and looked up to see the blonde haired woman, standing next to her in the line, staring at her with big green eyes.

"He seems to be the most kind out of all the guards," Kahlan responded, clutching her robe tighter around her shivering frame. She almost smiled. "It's a good thing he seems to be their commander."

"Yes," the woman nodded. "From what I gathered from some of the others in the pool, he is the only one who does not partake in the benefits of working here."

Kahlan knitted her eyebrows together.

"Yes, I know, sounds odd… for a man to work in a whorehouse and not indulge himself…," the woman paused and averted her eyes for a moment as the queue moved forward. She looked back. "I'm Cameron, by the way."

"Kaya," Kahlan responded, nodding her head.

"I… I just thought I should introduce myself, seeing how we came in together," Cameron replied.

"We… we were purchased at the same time?" her mind began to reel with possibilities; maybe this woman knew what became of Richard. Kahlan knew it was probably giving herself false hope, but she could not accept that Richard might already be dead. She would not believe that until she saw it… and it was something she never wanted to see, so she had to hope. Thinking and hoping he was alive and well was the only thing that would give her comfort and the strength she needed to survive in this place.

"Yes," Cameron answered. "The same slave trader sold us to Betto in the market place. You were unconscious the entire time, but even then, Betto seemed to see your beauty."

Kahlan shivered. "I wish he hadn't."

"I… I know what you mean," Cameron nodded.

"Next!" came a guard's gruff voice.

Cameron turned around and took a step forward to stand before a podium. The guard standing behind it looked bored. He dipped the quill into the inkwell and looked up at her. "Name?" he questioned.

"Cameron."

He nodded, then looked down at the ledger before him and made a note. Glancing back up at her, he began to list off her features. "Blonde hair… green eyes," he mumbled as he wrote in the ledger. His eyes skimmed her body. "Small breasts… shapely hips… virgin." He turned his head and gave a nod to another guard, who was standing at the opening behind him. He raised his hand and gestured to Cameron. She looked over her shouldered at Kahlan and gave a quick nod of her head.

"I hope to see you again, Kaya," she said hurriedly, before stepping away to go through the opening.

"Next!"

Kahlan stepped forward and took a deep breath, determined to remain calm and collected. She was the Mother Confessor after all, and no matter what her present circumstances were, she was going to maintain her dignity.

"Name?" the guard questioned.

"Kaya," Kahlan answered in a firm voice, keeping up the fiction.

The guard nodded and wrote down the name. She listened as the guard listed off her features: Her blue eyes, full breasts, hips, and long legs. He paused with her hair, seeming to have difficulty on whether to label it black or dark brown. He eventually settled on dark brown. "You may go," he said looking up at her, as if startled she was still there.

Kahlan gave a nod and walked towards the door behind the guard. The guard at the door opened the curtain and gestured Kahlan inside. It led to a dimly lit hall and she spotted Cameron at the other end, being led away by another guard. Not knowing what to do, Kahlan stood there and waited. A side door opened and Kahlan held her breath when she saw Necor emerge. He stopped and looked at her, his eyes boring into hers. Hesitating for a moment, he inhaled through his nostrils, and then stepped over.

"Follow me," he ordered.

Kahlan nodded, and followed. They walked to the end of the hallway, which turned into a spiral staircase that led down into the ground. It was too narrow to walk side-by-side, so he had her walk in front of him. He placed his hand on her arm, but the manner in which he did so was not salacious or lecherous. By the tone of his voice, Kahlan thought he was just concerned that she might slip on the smoothed stone steps. She was grateful, because at one point, she did almost slip. He caught her, his hands wrapping around her thin waist. He gave a soft smile, and then placed her back down on her feet. They continued in silence for a while, now with him in front and her behind him.

"I… I'm sorry," he said softly, looking over his shoulder as they continued down the narrow steps. "I… I did not mean to put the idea of sending you to the Pit in the Master's mind."

Kahlan gulped, unsure whether or not to respond. "I… I noticed that before," Kahlan choked out. "You call him Master, while the others call him Betto."

Necor glanced over his shoulder at her and gave a quick nod before turning back to the stairs. "Yes… I was once a slave in this House," he replied, leaving it at that. "I'm called Necor."

"Yes, I know, I heard him call you that. I… I'm Kaya," she decided that for the moment it was best to maintain that fiction, especially after that was the name she had been using with everyone else. No matter how kind Necor was, he was still a guard and she was still a prisoner.

"Kaya… that's a pretty name," Necor said. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaya… though I just wish it was under better circumstances." He forced out a chuckle, but then lowered his brow, seeming to think better of it.

Kahlan allowed some time to pass before she spoke again. "How long were you…?" her voice trailed off.

"A slave?" Necor finished her question. "Since I was born. I was born into it, if you will. I've been with Betto for most of it. I'm the only slave that Betto has ever freed. He made me the head guard because I'm the only one he can trust. You see... the others are loyal because of coin, whereas I'm loyal because I was bred to have no other choice. And for some reason that makes him trust me more than the others."

"They must resent you, don't they?" Kahlan questioned. "I mean, having to take orders from a former slave."

Necor nodded. "Yes… but they fear me more than they resent me." His voice trailed off and he looked at her for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "You are different from the rest," he commented. "You don't seem as timid or afraid as the others. You act very peculiar for a slave."

"Because I'm not," Kahlan asserted. "No one should be a slave."

"Doesn't change the fact that there is slavery throughout all the territories," Necor interjected.

Their conversation ceased and they walked in silence, passing a number of openings before coming to a stop at an oak door. Necor opened it and ushered Kahlan inside. They entered a hallway with doors at regular intervals. As they walked past, Kahlan spotted the guard who had been escorting Cameron step away from a door, tucking in his shirt as he walked past them. Necor gave him a glare before continuing. When they reached that door, Necor paused and stopped. He asked her to wait.

Kahlan nodded, besides there was nowhere she could go. Necor took out an iron ring with a collection of keys on it. He rifled through them until he came up with a key that looked to be a skeleton key. He stuck it in the bolt and unlocked the door. Opening it, he stepped inside. Kahlan could hear soft weeping, which ceased the moment Necor walked in. Stepping closer to the door, Kahlan listened.

"Are you okay? What did he do?" she heard Necor ask.

"He forced me to take him into my mouth and swallow when he released," Kahlan heard Cameron whimper.

"Shh," came Necor's reassuring voice. Kahlan peeked her head around the door and watched as the fair-haired guard knelt down beside the trembling girl, wrapping his arms around her, soothing her. "It's all right. I'll make sure he's punished. Now, get some rest."

Cameron sniffled. "Why?" was all the girl managed to squeak out.

"The Master promised three days of peace… and you girls deserve that," Necor replied, caressing her head like an older brother. He helped her into the bed and tucked her in. "Now, get some rest, and do not worry about him."

Cameron nodded and laid her head against the pillow. Before Necor stood and turned around, Kahlan stepped back and looked away, pretending not to have been eavesdropping. Necor reappeared and closed the door, locking it. He looked over his shoulder at Kahlan.

"Yes?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow, making it clear to her that he knew that she had been eavesdropping.

"What will you do to that guard?" she asked.

"He'll get fifty lashes and then be reassigned to guard duty at the Pit," Necor said.

"You would do that for a whore?"

Necor looked at her for a moment, before gesturing for her to follow. "You forget… I  _was_  a slave," he said. "And… and my mother was a whore."

"Sorry," Kahlan said, lowering her head.

Stopping before the last door in the hall, Kahlan watched as he took out the keychain again and found the skeleton key. He unlocked the door and directed her inside. She slipped past him and entered her quarters. When he followed her and closed the door, Kahlan held her breath, wondering if his entire display had been an act, something to lull her into a false sense of security. She prepared for an assault. When nothing happened, she exhaled slowly and turned around to look at him, taking note of his slumped shoulders and lowered head. That's when she heard the soft sounds of sobbing. Tentatively, Kahlan reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Necor stiffened, startled, and turned around. Kahlan found that she had been right; he had been crying. "Sorry," he sniffled, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "It's just that, if it where not for the dark hair, you are the spitting image of my sister."

"Oh…," was all she could say.

"I… I won't touch you, you don't have to worry about that," he said.

Kahlan nodded, believing him now, and seeing his interaction with Cameron in a whole new light. He must have been telling her the truth, when he told her that he had been a slave and his mother had been a whore. Perhaps she had been a whore in this very House.

Necor swallowed and straightened his back, raking in a deep breath. "You may not believe this, but I would kill Betto if I thought it were possible to do so without getting killed in the process. And if I could free all the other slaves."

"Other slaves?" she furrowed her brow. "But you're no longer a slave."

"In my heart, I still am," he told her. "My mother was a slave, my sister was a slave."

"And your father?" Kahlan asked.

"When my mother was purchased, Decius Betto, the Master's father, took a fancy to her," Necor said. "My sister and I were the result." He paused and took a deep breath. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. There is something about you that compels me to confess things to you."

Kahlan caught her breath, hoping he had not guessed who or what she was. She cleared her throat to give herself some time to think. "So… that would make Betto you're half-brother," Kahlan said, knitting her eyebrows together, slightly confused. "And you want him dead? Even after he freed you?"

"If he knew the truth behind my parentage, I would have been killed a long time ago," Necor asserted, shaking his head. "Besides, even though I am freed, and have more movements than I have had in the past, in a lot of ways, I am still a slave. No one else would employ an ex-slave, so I remain… and for wanting Betto dead… that's because of Licinia."

"Licinia?"

Necor paused and looked at her for a moment. His expression was one of stunned amazement that he was telling her all of this. Taking in a quick breath, he gave a nod. "My… my sister."

"Oh… I… I'm sorry," Kahlan felt true sympathy for the man's pain. She may not have her confessor powers right now, but she could still sense when people were lying, because that was something she had been trained to notice, not something she had been born with.

Necor gave another nod and raked his hand through his hair. "Master Decius was worried about Licinia and me, because we both had his fair hair and complexion. So, when I was old enough, he sent me to the Pit, hoping I would die in the arena. He wanted me to die at someone else's hands, because he could not bring himself to do so to his own flesh and blood, even if I was a slave and son of a whore. Meanwhile, Licinia was blossoming into womanhood, and young master Gaius was taking a liking to her."

He paused and swallowed hard before continuing. "He… he forced himself on her, and when she tried to fight back, he… he struck her and choked her as he took her. He was so wrapped up in his own pleasure that he failed to notice that he had snapped her neck while he was having his way with her. I was unaware what had happened, being in the Pit, but when Master Decius died, Betto must have felt some guilt about her death, because he had me taken out of the Pit and brought here to be his personal bodyguard. It took me some time, but I eventually learned the truth from the old Master's personal slave."

Necor sucked in a breath. "I was furious, learning that the man I had served so faithfully had been the one to kill my sister," he continued his story. "But by then, I had Paullina to think of. I could not act while she is still in harm's way."

"Paullina?" Kahlan asked.

"Slaves cannot legally marry," Necor explained. "But she is as close to a wife as a man like me can have. Though, I must share her with the master's clients."

"Then she is a whore?"

" _A slave_!" Necor snapped, then softened. "Sorry… it is not easy. But we manage, knowing that our bodies may be owned by others, but our hearts are not."

Kahlan nodded, understanding the real reason why Necor had stayed in the employment of Betto after he had been freed. It was to look after the woman he loved. This also showed more about his character and why he treated all the women differently than the other guards.

"Slavery," Kahlan shook her head in disgust. "If the Midlands Council took a more proactive role in the defense of its citizens there would be no slavery."

Necor looked at her like she was crazy. "The Midlands Council has no authority here, Kaya," he said. "They might have, a long time ago, but not now."

Kahlan's heart sank. If this was true, then she was truly lost. Turning around, she hugged herself. "Thank you for your kindness, Necor, and for confiding in me, when you had no reason to," she said.

"Pay it no mind, Kaya, it… it was nice to get it off my chest, so to speak," Necor replied, smilingly softly.

"If… if you don't mind. I would like to get some sleep now."

Necor nodded. "Of course, Kaya," he said. "If you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask for me." He paused and chuckled sadly. "After all, it is my duty to protect the Master's merchandise."

When he left, locking the door behind him, Kahlan slumped down on the bed and stared forlornly at the wall. She did not know if she could sleep, but she took some comfort in the knowledge that there was someone like Necor here who she could rely on for support. Alissia and Cameron may be necessary friends amongst the other working girls, but Necor was the true ally here, that much Kahlan was sure of.


	4. Chapter 4

Peace and rest... that is what they got over the next three days, just as Betto had promised. However, those days went by far quicker than Kahlan would have liked. After their first night, the doors to their quarters were not locked and they were allowed to wander the floor they had been assigned to. Kahlan thought this was amusing, because they were still held captive on the floor. Allowing them some freedom was not really any freedom at all.

It did not take Kahlan long to learn that the floor she was on was the one for the virgins. There were not really that many of them, leaving most of the rooms empty. They were all treated kindly, fed generously, and—with the exception of that first night, where that guard forced Cameron to take him in her mouth—they were left alone and not harassed by anyone. Except the locked door and guards, an outsider might not have realized that they were prisoners. But no matter how gilded with gold and furnished with opulent beds and other such things, this place was still a cage, one Kahlan desperately wanted to escape from.

The most difficult time was night. Since their cells had been unlocked, Kahlan found Cameron bunking with her. They shared the bed in her quarters and snuggled close. Kahlan was grateful for the comfort, but she thought Cameron needed it more than she did. While Cameron slept, Kahlan struggled to, constantly fretting over the depraved things she was soon going to have to perform in the service of the master's clientele. Sometimes, at night, while she laid sleepless in bed with Cameron nestled close, Kahlan could hear the sounds of the women who were not fortunate enough to be spared having to work. It made her shudder, hearing all the terrified screams or false moans of ecstasy drifting down the halls.

Kahlan resolved that she would never moan like that. She would be a fighter, and none of the clients were going to get her to moan like that, either falsely or not.

Inevitably, as all things are, her thoughts would turn to Richard. Had he been taken captive, like she had, and if so, had he really been killed in the Pit? She loathed the latter, but feared the former just as much. Kahlan also pondered over where they were. She had traveled throughout the entire Midlands in her duties as a confessor and she had never once heard of an arena called the Pit, or encountered a region with such a strong negative field that it suppressed her powers to the extent it was if they had never been.

In her dreams, when she did manage to sleep, Richard had not been captured or killed, and would come to her rescue. He would come charging through the House of Betto like an avenging spirit, cutting down all the guards, save Necor. With the turn in the tide, the fair-haired guard would then get to take his revenge on Betto for the death of his sister Licinia.

And then, with Betto dead, Richard and Necor would free all the slaves. Kahlan would then announce herself as the Mother Confessor and use her authority to seize control of the town. She would then legally recognize Necor and Paullina's marriage. Then, finally, staying within the negative field of the region, Kahlan would sneak off with Richard somewhere and make fierce and passionate love to him.

But then she would always wake up, realizing it was all just a dream… a wonderful sweet dream. However fleeting, the fantasy kept her alive and gave her the strength to survive, allowing her to hope that some day it might just come true.

For morning and evening meals they were let out of their floor and allowed to congregate in a common area. Kahlan would sit with Cameron and the other virgins, taking note that even though they were free to choose where to sit, almost everyone sat with their assigned group. Alissia sat over with the other brunettes, but would occasionally come over to chat with Kahlan, seeing how she was doing. She would always walk in a suggestive manner when she went past the guards, winking and pursing her lips at them.

In the evening, they were all taken to the baths, where Kahlan would silently wash herself and listen to Alissia gossip with the other veterans of this trade about the little things they had each learned to do to derive some pleasure in their time with a client. It was during one of these times that Kahlan learned some interesting and vital information. According to one of the older whores, the House of Betto operated in the Angress Valley, not far from the wealthy cities of Tartum and Septor, and was about a week's distance from the farming community of Cornvale. Finding out the location of her captivity provided Kahlan with the reason behind her seemingly lack of confessing powers.

The Angress Valley was situated in the low lands surrounding the Roh'machtig Mountains. The name of those mountains was no mere coincidence. Ages ago, when the Midlands was still sparsely populated, wizards, who where traveling through the Angress Valley, discovered that within the shadow of the mountains, their powers were useless, caught in a negative field. For all extensive purposes, their powers were non-existent. So they had then named the mountains accordingly.

And if Kahlan had not studied at the Wizard's Keep as a young confessor, learning some of the older tongues, she would not have been able to decipher the meaning.  _Roh'machtig_  was an ancient form of D'Haran, meaning "powerless." This knowledge answered some of Kahlan's questions, informing her why her powers would not work, but it did little to ease her worries.

As the sun rose on the fourth day of her captivity, Kahlan knew that today would be the last day of peace, because when night fell, she would be purchased for the evening and be forced to entertain a client. Kahlan had been dreading this day, and was debating what she was going to do. She knew she had two choices, but she liked neither. Either she would have to submit and allow her maidenhood to be taken, or she would fight and be killed. This decision was all she could think about for the entire day. It was not until they had been taken to the baths to wash up for the viewing that Kahlan began to grow more worried and fearful.

Alissia stayed by her and helped her wash, noticing her mood. "Do not worry, Kaya," she said, rubbing Kahlan's back with a washcloth. "Just calm your breathing and relax and it will be over before you know it." She paused. "And don't think about fighting, because if you injure your client in anyway, Master Betto will see to it that you are given to one of the arena fighters. He will not hesitate to give you as a reward to the most blood thirsty arena fighter."

Kahlan swallowed and looked over her shoulder at the woman. "Are they so bad?" she did not know why she was asking, but she felt like talking… almost about anything.

"Not so much, I guess," Alissia said, shrugging. "The Pit has been around for decades, and the arena fighters have not always been brutes. In fact, Jenn," she gestured to the woman who seemed to be frequently sent to the Pit to please fighters, "says that some are actually quite handsome."

Kahlan nodded, but only absently. She was thinking of Richard, remembering what Alissia had told her about Jenn being sent to a fighter who would not sleep with her and had then subsequently died in a bout against Rook, the arena champion. Kahlan remembered thinking that that had to be Richard, because only he would have turned down the offer of a red-haired seductress like Jenn. She sighed, missing his warm brown eyes and his adorable boyish smirk when they were teasing one another.

"She's been bedding Traken," Alissia went on gossiping, gesturing towards one of the guards, who had stationed himself close to where Jenn was washing in the pool. "Has been for years, apparently. Thinks she's in love, she does. If Jenn is to be believed, Traken only sleeps with her. Poor girl... she thinks he loves her."

"He doesn't?" Kahlan asked.

"Well, if he only slept with her, he would not have started visiting my bed," Alissia laughed. "Don't you remember?"

Kahlan looked blankly at Alissia, confused.

"Our first day… in the sorting room? I asked the guards which one thought they could satisfy me?" Kahlan nodded, remembering the incident. "Well," Alissia continued. "It was Traken who took me. And I'll tell you what, Kaya, I can see why Jenn's infatuated with him. Oh, girl, does he have a cock!"

Kahlan blushed, not really understanding what Alissia was going on about. To be honest, she knew little about sex, other than the biological functions of it and that it involved the man inserting himself inside the woman and releasing his seed. When she was younger and was taught about such things, the older confessors never really described sex in terms of deriving pleasure from it. Confessors had long ago realized that such things were beyond their grasp… things like love. Because of this lack of knowledge, Kahlan did not know why Alissia was making such a fuss over the size of Traken's manhood. Kahlan truly did not understand why it mattered.

Surely, if you loved the man, such things did not matter, because it was your love for him that was the most important thing. At least, that is what Kahlan thought, when she contemplated what it was like to make love, something she had never even expected she would ever get to do. Kahlan knew that eventually she was going to have to take a mate and couple with him, but that would not have been lovemaking.

It was times like this, when Alissia started talking about such things, that Kahlan felt wholly unprepared for the matters of the bed. Hearing some of the things Alissia said made Kahlan worry that if she and Richard had ever found a way to be together, her lack of knowledge in that regard would have displeased him.

"Can… can we change the subject?" Kahlan asked, trembling slightly.

Alissia narrowed her eyes and ran her fingers through Kahlan's long hair, massaging the soap into her scalp. "All right, Kaya," she said. "I… I just want you to be prepared for what will happen tonight."

"Alissia… before I was brought here…," Kahlan spoke tentatively, not knowing why she felt the need to confide in the woman, but she felt the need to speak, and Alissia was the one there. Cameron hardly drifted away from the other virgins. Kahlan was the only one out of their group that spoke with anyone else. And besides, Kahlan needed to say what she wanted to say; otherwise she would suffocate with grief and heartbreak. "I… I was with a man… a man I loved when I was captured."

"Are you trying to tell me that you really are not a virgin; that I, not to mention Betto, was mistaken?" Alissia asked, pausing.

"No, you were right, I am a virgin… we never really got that far. I wanted to, and so did he, but we just never really… it was mainly just some quick kisses and… and some touching," Kahlan blushed slightly, remembering the feel of Richard's hand sliding down to the small of her back when they had been walking side by side along the trail after Zedd had departed.

She knew her words were probably misleading, because that was the extent of the touching. He had caressed her arms and hugged her, and he had cradled her head in his hands as their eyes locked in a battle that was almost as intense as anything she had ever experienced. And the kisses she had given him were all chaste and hardly with any passion. Yet, despite that, Richard's desire for her seemed constant and unwavering.

It was one of the things that confused Kahlan, because she never thought she was that alluring in either her white gown or green traveling dress. But, whenever she would catch Richard gazing at her with lust-fogged eyes, his cheeks would flush and he would try and hide the bulge that had grown in his trousers. There was always some awkwardness after those moments, but Kahlan secretly relished them, because it was proof of just how much Richard desired her.

Now, instead of sleeping in her bedroll, not far from his, Kahlan was fated to share a bed with a man who would purchase her for the evening. She trembled slightly and bit her lower lip, not knowing how she was going to live with herself, knowing that her virtue was to be taken from her against her will. If she ever made it back to Richard, would he even look at her the same way? Would he still desire her?

"You're thinking of this man, yes?" Alissia's voice called her out of her thoughts.

Kahlan gave a reluctant nod.

"Good, that will help," Alissia asserted with a wiry smirk. "When you're with the client tonight, think of your man… it might make it easier."

"But will he ever look at me the same if I ever get out of here?" Kahlan asked in a weak voice, afraid of the answer.

Alissia looked at her with sad eyes. "Best not to think of that," she said.

Kahlan slumped her shoulders and turned away, allowing Alissia to finish washing her in silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Gaius Betto was the only one in the reception hall. He stood at a distance, his arms crossed, watching as they entered the room. Kahlan fought hard to keep the hate and rage out of her eyes, remembering what Alissia had told her. If she showed any more defiance towards the master, she might be fated to be a reward for an arena brute, instead of servicing one of the rich clients Betto had. As they walked out into the room, Kahlan shivered, feeling the man's dark eyes follow her. It almost seemed like he had more interest in her than any of the other girls.

Unsure what to do, Kahlan made a move to stand by Alissia, but Necor placed a hand on her arm and shook his head. He directed her over to the group of all the equally distressed looking women, whom Kahlan knew were the virgins. Apparently there were going to keep them in there respective groupings for this viewing.

Prior to leaving the sorting room, all the women had been dressed in silk nightgowns that were scantily and almost see-through. Kahlan felt more naked than clothed, and she did not like the leering looks that some of the other guards directed toward her and the other virgins. She was probably the most composed out of the group, which she figured was not wise, because it would make her stand out. So, in order to blend in more, Kahlan allowed some of her confessor's mask to slip, showing some of her fear.

Cameron entered the room and her green eyes quickly fell on Kahlan. She shuffled over to them and stood trembling next to her. They stood there in silence for a while, watching as the rest of the women were ushered into the hall. Kahlan noticed that Cameron was shaking. So, tentatively, she moved her hand out and grasped Cameron's, trying to give the poor girl some comfort. Cameron inhaled deeply and gave a nod of thanks, squeezing Kahlan's hand back in return.

Once all the women were settled into their respective groups and had quieted, Betto stepped forward, smiling at all of them, as if he was their best friend or personal savior. But he was none of those things. He was the monster who owned them and would be asking them to submit to his clients tonight.

"Some of you are new here, and this will be your first evening working, and others still, this will be your first time ever!" he let out a laugh and directed his gaze towards the group of virgins, but Kahlan thought his eyes were looking specifically at her. They glinted in a way that disturbed her, like he had something special planned for her.

The other women around her were trembling with fear. Cameron gasped out a soft whimper, and Kahlan squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her. However, Kahlan could not blame them, because she could feel her legs grow wobbly with fear as well. Kahlan had no idea how Alissia and the other veterans of this business had grown so complacent and even seemed to enjoy some of what they did.

"Tonight is a special night," Betto went on, parading before his wares. "We shall be entertaining some special clients, ones that are very influential and powerful. And, it appears, wickedly debauched as well!" When he laughed this time, it was not alone, because some of his men joined him. Necor was the only guard who remained stone-faced. "Our patrons tonight are Consul Aulus Vintell of Septor and his friends. They have requested some viewing entertainment before they sample you lovely ladies." His smile widen and Kahlan shuddered when his dark eyes darted across the room and locked on her.

"Because of his high office, and the money he possesses, I have granted his request," Betto elaborated. "Consul Vintell wishes to see a reenactment of the Creator and Keeper's consummation. From all accounts a passionate love affair, oh yes. And for this performance, Vintell has already selected the man to play the Keeper. Some of you may have heard of him… he is the greatest swordsman ever to grace the sands of the Pit… Rook!"

Some gasps went out amongst the women, and Kahlan looked over at Alissia, who was grinning widely. All the other women who, like Alissia, had long since adapted and accepted this life were wearing the same big smile. Some even appeared to be growing aroused by the mere mention of the man. Kahlan did not know why so many would welcome the idea of the arena champion having sex with them in front of an audience of some powerful politician and his rich friends. She found the whole thing disgusting that such people even existed in the Midlands. She resolved that if she ever got out of this and returned to her seat of power in Aydindril, she would make sure that the Midlands Council reasserted their influence over the Angress Valley.

As for Rook, all Kahlan could think of was that he might have been the man to kill her Richard—if the tale Jenn had told Alissia about the arena fighter who would not sleep with her was true. Because, by all accounts, that arena fighter had arrived around the same time Kahlan had, making it highly probable that he had been Richard. Though, she would hold off on grieving until it was confirmed. As far as she was concerned, Richard was alive and searching for her.

The double doors behind Betto parted and a man dressed in nothing but a loincloth, with a hideous iron mask covering his face, emerged. The mask was supposed to symbolize the Keeper and it was awful to look at. Kahlan wanted to look away, but like the rest of the women, she could not help but drink in the sight of the man's chiseled chest and strong muscular arms. She did not know what his face was like, but the rest of him was definitely pleasing to the eye. Kahlan could understand why Alissia and the others were all gushing over the prospect of playing the Creator in this little debauched play. However, though she found the man physically attractive, she had no wish to play the Creator, especially if the other fighter he had killed had been Richard.

All the women with Alissia batted their eyelashes at Rook and tried showing off their assets to him, but he just ignored them, his gaze centered dead ahead on nothing in particular. Because of her years of training to read body language, Kahlan could tell by the stiffness in his shoulders that Rook was tense and was clearly not looking forward to performing this sick fanciful entertainment for Consul Vintell. But by his other mannerisms, Kahlan knew that Rook had resigned himself to the fact that he had no choice but to comply.

Cameron leaned over. "He's not what I expected," she murmured. "From the way I overheard some of the guards describe his movements in the sand, I would have expected a demon."

Kahlan nodded. "He may not be a brute, but that mask certainly adds to the personification of a demon."

Cameron shivered and looked away. The snarling iron face was grotesque. It resembled the face of the Keeper from many of the paintings and statues Kahlan had seen throughout the Midlands, though most of those had depicted him in supplication to the Creator, with her flowing dress and long hair hovering around her like the rays of the sun. Though, the Keeper's body was usually depicted as being cadaverous and deformed, whereas Rook was the ideal specimen of manhood, with a toned body and muscular features. Kahlan bit her lower lip, chiding herself for feeling the tingles of arousal at the sight of his near-naked body. The only man she ever wanted to excite her in that regard was Richard… and the man she was looking at right now might have killed him. Even if he had no choice, such a thing was something Kahlan could never forgive.

She watched as Betto leaned over and whispered something to Rook. The arena fighter gave a nod and turned, exiting through the same doorway he had entered. The doors closed and all of the women, except for Kahlan and the virgins, let out a sigh of longing. Betto clapped his hands, smiling devilishly.

"Now that you've all had a chance to see Rook, let us find out which of you lucky ladies he'll ravish tonight!" Betto turned and nodded towards Necor. Kahlan watched as the kind-hearted guard, who had once been a slave, walked over to a side door on the other side of the room.

Once the door was opened, a man with balding grey hair and a large nose walked into the room. He wore a rich crimson red doublet and matching trousers. A gold chain of office was resting across his shoulders and he appeared to be a man of authority. For a moment, Kahlan pondered announcing herself to him, believing that a government official would surely help her, the Mother Confessor. But before she could make a decision, she noticed the lecherous look in his eyes and she slumped her shoulders in defeat. Besides, he was patronizing a high-class brothel, so he obviously was not the sort of government official Kahlan was used to dealing with, at least she hoped so. She would be appalled to learn if any of the officials in the Midlands Council she counted as friends turned out to frequent the brothels and whorehouses in Aydindril.

"Our patron!" Betto announced with a wide grin.

Consul Vintell inclined his head in acknowledgement and shook hands with the Master of the House. "I see you've made some new purchases, Gaius."

"Yes, yes," Betto nodded, directing Vintell over to the newer women. Kahlan let out a sigh of relief, seeing that they were going towards Alissia and the veterans.

"Lovely things, yes," Vintell nodded, his eyes scanning the women. "But not what I have in mind, old friend." He turned his eyes towards Kahlan and the cluster of virgins. "The Creator was a virgin when the Keeper first took her, was she not?"

Kahlan watched as Betto made a face. "Surely you understand that we cannot waste one of these precious few on Rook, even if he is the champion of the Pit."

Vintell waved his hand. "I am paying a considerable sum for this party, Gaius," he said, using a friendly yet firm tone with Betto. "I promised my friends and colleagues quite a show. They will be expecting to see virgin's blood from the whore playing the Creator. And if you must sacrifice one of those lovelies, then why not? I can pay extra, if you like."

Betto frowned for a moment, considering. "All right," he agreed with a nod. "Hundred thousand more gold pieces and you have yourself a deal."

"A hundred thousand?" scoffed Vintell, shaking his head. "What do you take me for? A fool!" His beady eyes looked over at Kahlan and the other virgins. "Sure you may have one or two that could rate that high, but that would be the price I'd pay for myself, not for Rook to deflower her for my entertainment."

Betto sighed. "Fifty thousand?" he offered.

"Deal," Vintell grinned, then pushed his way past Betto to walk over to the virgins, eager to select the one who shall perform in his sick little fantasy.

Kahlan stiffened and quickly put on her confessor's mask. She closed her eyes and silently prayed to the good spirits that she would not be chosen. It was bad enough that she was going to be raped and her virtue taken from her, but to have it happen in front of others and for their amusement would be too much.

"Very nice… very nice," she heard the consul say, his voice close.

Opening her eyes, he saw him looking at a redhead at the end of the line. She fidgeted and looked away. Vintell raised a hand and reached out for her, but stopped midway. He looked back at Betto.

"May I?" he asked permission to touch the master's property.

Betto folded his arms across his chest and gave a nod of consent, letting the consul grope and fondle the girl. Kahlan clenched her jaw tight, feeling for the whimpering girl as the man ran his hands over her breasts and down her body, shoving his ring-encrusted fingers between her legs. Vintell frowned.

"Not that tight, this one," he said. "Are you sure she's a virgin? You haven't been letting your guards play around with them, have you?"

"Every single one is guaranteed to be untouched, Consul," Betto said with a curt nodded. "Necor here can vouched for that."

The Consul looked over at the fair-haired head guard. Necor nodded. "My master speaks the truth, sir," he said. "They have been kept separate from the rest, except for meals and bathing. And only I and Master Betto have the keep to their floor."

Vintell gave a wave of his hand, satisfied. He turned back and looked over the redhead, and then shook his head. "She's nice, but not quite the Creator."

Kahlan sucked in a breath, feeling her heart pound beneath her chest, afraid of what might come next. The man stepped back and looked over them. His eyes skimmed past her and stopped on Cameron. He narrowed his eyes, and Kahlan felt Cameron squeeze her hand as she trembled in fright. But then Vintell shifted his gaze and Kahlan suddenly found him staring directly at her. For a moment, she glared at him with hatred, but then remembered herself and looked away. But it was too late... he had noticed her.

"This one! Now, she's a beauty worthy of being the Creator!" Vintell grinned.

Kahlan fought the instinct to run, knowing it would be futile, as he came over to her. He looked back at Betto for permission, which the man gave, and then his hands were on her. He grabbed her breasts and grinned, then ran his fingers down her side, and pushed his hand past the cut in her skirt and felt her between her legs. Kahlan shivered and looked away when his fingers felt her folds and pushed slightly up into her.

"Oh… she's tight," he grinned. "I like this one. And she has spirit… a fire in her that will make an excellent Creator. I bet she's a fighter at heart. She's sure to give us an excellent display before your man Rook breaks her into submission."

"A wise choice, Consul," Betto said with a nod, a wicked smile forming on his lips. His eyes locked with Kahlan's for a moment, and he winked, as if telling her that he had been planning this ever since she had given him that defiant glare on that first day.

Vintell ran his fingers along her jaw. "Will you resist the Keeper?" he asked. "Please do, we shall like to see a struggle for dominance!" He snorted and laughed.

Kahlan trembled slightly and watched as the Consul and Betto walked away talking about the spectacle to come. "Oh, Kaya," Cameron whimpered. Kahlan closed her eyes and set her jaw, refusing to show any emotion. When she opened her eyes, Necor and Esser were standing before her. Necor, as gentle as he had been before, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I… I'm so sorry, Kaya," he said softly, so that only she could hear. "I did not mean for this to happen. But I'm afraid I put the idea into the Master's head." He paused and sucked in a breath. "You'll be needing some help preparing… would you like Cameron to accompany you?"

Looking up at him, Kahlan gave a nod, trying to hold it together. Necor signaled to Esser, and the other man gestured for Cameron to come with him. Kahlan let out a shuddering breath when Necor wrapped his fingers tenderly around her arm and began to lead her out of the reception hall. All her dreams and hopes for the future were about to be smashed and ripped from her. She took some comfort knowing that she might be saving Cameron from the night's debauchery by asking for her to be her attendant. She figured Rook was probably in the same position, having been captured and made to fight in the arena sands, but still, she knew she would end up hating him for taking that which she had always wanted to give to Richard.

Sobbing softly, Kahlan allowed Necor to guide her through a curtained door and into the preparation room.


	6. Chapter 6

Kahlan stood in the center of the room; the floor was covered in padded cushions. Cameron sat cross-legged on the floor, a ceramic bowl in her lap as she mixed dried pigments with some oil and water to create a silver-colored body paint. Across from them, standing by the curtain door, was Necor, the only guard present. Kahlan was thankful when he had told Esser, Traken, and the other guards to leave. Not having them around would make it easier to prepare for what was to come. Besides Cameron, there were also maidservants who attended her, helping her out of the scantily silk nightgown, so that the body paint that Cameron was mixing could be applied.

She was to play the part of the Creator in a sick performance for the amusement of the rich and powerful of Septor, and the friends of the Consul Aulus Vintell. Once the silk nightgown was removed, Cameron stood with a crestfallen expression plastered on her face. Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"It's all right, Cameron," Kahlan told the blonde haired girl. "Do it."

Cameron nodded. "Yes, Kaya."

She dipped her hand into the bowl and began to rub the silver body paint over Kahlan's skin. The other women in the room assisted, running their hands along Kahlan's long legs, chest, flat stomach, back, and bottom, working the silver paint into her flesh, covering up her pale skin. Her entire body was covered in the stuff, including her inner thighs. Kahlan was allowed to apply the paint to the spot between her legs herself, and to rub it against her cheeks and forehead. As Kahlan closed her eyes, the maidservants and Cameron worked at ensuring it covered all her skin.

When they were done, Kahlan took a deep breath and opened her eyes, turning to look at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a creature of quicksilver. Her bright blue eyes seemed to stand out amongst the silver, staring back at her from her reflection. And her dark hair, watered and oil, seemed to be sleek and shiny.

"Is it done?" Cameron asked, turning to Necor.

The guard took a deep breath and shook his head. "Just as Rook has a mask of the Keeper, so shall Kaya wear a mask of the Creator," Necor explained, stepping over to a chest along side the opposite wall. He knelt before it and raised the lid. He retrieved an object covered in white linens. "This mask has not been used in many years." He looked up at Kahlan, his cerulean eyes watery. "I pray that it was not my jest that made the Master offer this performance to the Consul."

Kahlan bit her lower lip, tasting the silver paint on her tongue as she did so. "It… it is not your fault, Necor," she said, firmly believing it. "This is Betto and Vintell's doing, not yours."

Necor nodded and began unwrapping the white linens. Once the wrappings were removed, Kahlan gasped at the beautiful golden mask they had been concealing. The features of the sculpted face were definitely divine and breathtaking. When she put it on, the mask would cover her entire face, only leaving gaps for her eyes to see and two holes in the nose, where the nostrils would be, for her to breathe. A silver ribbon was attached to the edges of the mask.

Stepping forward, Necor handed the mask to Kahlan, who held it in her hands for a moment, mesmerized by the artisan's depiction of the Creator. The only other face she had seen that was as beautiful as this sculptured face was that of her mother's. Kahlan closed her eyes and pursed her lips, taking a long inhale through her nose, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Once she put this mask on, she would be giving herself over to the fact that in just a few moments she would be sacrificing her virtue to the arena champion in front of an audience of politicians and their sycophants.

Kahlan opened her eyes and exhaled slowly, raising the mask up to properly position it to her face. Cameron stepped behind her and tied the silver ribbons together, securing the mask to her head. Turning back to the mirror, Kahlan looked at herself, watching as the maidservants set to the task of dressing her in a scantily silk gold nightgown that did little to cover her, making sure not to smudge any of the silver paint. They did not bother to tie the waist string, knowing that it would only be a hindrance once she got out into the display room, where the performance would take place.

"Do I look like the Creator?" Kahlan asked absently, not really caring, yet needing to say something to help calm her nerves.

"Yes," Necor said, stepping up behind her, staring not at her body, but at her eyes. He lowered his head and spoke in a whisper. "Please, forgive me."

Inclining her head slightly, Kahlan looked away from her reflection. She swallowed the cliché reply that it was not his fault and gave him what he wanted. "I forgive you, Necor," she said softly.

He took a slow breath and nodded. "Thank you, Kaya." Necor straightened and turned, stepping over to the curtained door. He parted the fabric and spoke in a hushed voice to the guard outside.

They waited for him to return. Kahlan noticed that Cameron's green eyes were transfixed on her. "What is it, Cameron?" Kahlan questioned quietly.

"I'm sorry, Kaya," Cameron replied, averting her eyes. "But, just for a moment, you resembled the statue of a confessor from the sanctuary in my hometown."

"A confessor?" Kahlan squeaked out, her heart immediately beginning to pound in worry. What was about to happen was already horrible, but to be found out for being a confessor now of all times, would only make the entire thing all the more worse. Betto and Vintell would no doubt have Rook do much more than just take her virtue.

Cameron nodded nervously, holding her hands in front of her. "Some people believe that confessors are blessed by the Creator with a power over men, just like the Creator had power over the Keeper," she explained. "Maybe the Creator will look after you and protect you during…" her voice trailed off.

Kahlan let out a sigh of relief, realizing that Cameron had not recognized her bearing and presence as that of a confessor, and had only been trying to reassure and comfort her. She gave a nod of her head. "Thank you, Cameron," she spoke up, and sucked in a breath. "I hope you're right. I could use some of the Creator's strength right now."

Necor returned, his brow lowered and his mouth a thin line. "They are ready, Kaya… it… it is time."

Kahlan raised her head up high, determined to meet her fate with as much dignity as she could under the present circumstances. She glanced at her reflection one last time, seeing a sparkling goddess of silver. The gold on the mask glimmered like the rays of the sun. "I am ready," she declared and followed Necor out of the room.

XXX

The display room was packed. That was the first thing Kahlan noticed as she followed Necor through the door. She peered through the iron latticework that separated her from the audience. Peering through the gaps, she saw Betto and Vintell chatting and sipping wine with two women dressed in sumptuous gowns. Kahlan knitted her eyebrows together and scanned the rest of the crowd. It was not what she had expected. It appeared that all of the social elite of Septor, husbands and wives included, had come to attend this party. This was much more than just some men's retreat for some debauched behavior and activities. From the way Vintell, and apparently his wife, were conversing with the other guests, it looked more like a political fundraiser.

Taking in a slow breath, she listened to the pleasant voices and light laughter that drifted across the room. "Disgusting," Kahlan muttered under her breath, utterly appalled at the politicking going on in this house of flesh. Had this people no decency?

Shifting behind the latticework, Kahlan looked over to the center of the room, where, under the hanging braziers, a little stage had been erected. On top of the wooden platform was a backless bench with cushions, draped in a white cloth. She watched as a couple of slaves worked around it, preparing the stage for the "performance." Two of them had burlap sacks in their arms. They kept bending down, seemingly pouring the contents down on the stage. As the crowd parted, Kahlan saw that they were pouring sand onto the platform. As they continued surrounding the padded bench with the small tan grains, they stepped down and began making their way towards the latticework that she was hiding behind, the sand still pouring. It was like they were making a pathway for her to walk towards her doom.

Necor appeared beside her and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. His touch was soft and light, not wanting to smudge the paint. "Are you ready, Kaya?" he asked.

"I… I didn't know there were going to be so many," Kahlan mumbled, peering out at the crowd of men and women. "I thought it was just going to be Vintell and his colleagues. I… I did not expect to see their wives with them."

"The elite of Septor are very decadent and perverse," Necor answered. "I believe the Consul and his wife are going to engage in some debauchery with that friend of yours, Alissia."

"Really?"

"While you were being prepared," Necor explained, "the clients inspected the girls and made their selections. The Consul's wife picked Alissia out of the brunettes. According to Traken, she looked very eager to test Alissia's skill with her tongue."

Kahlan looked over at the man's wife. She was definitely on the more attractive side than her husband, but she seemed to genuinely love him, judging by the manner in which she wrapped her arm around his as they gossiped with the other revelers. Though, Kahlan admitted, she could not really judge these people by appearances, because they looked to be the same as any other rich or elite people she had encountered throughout the Midlands, and she had never once suspected that any of them were so perverse. But then again, she could be wrong.

It was frightening, knowing that she might be wrong about people. That one thing scared her more than anything else. This would not be the first time she had judge things differently than they really were. Kahlan could still not forgive herself for confessing an innocent man. Richard and Zedd had tried to reassure her that it wasn't her fault that the town's sheriff had used that magical object to kill of members of the resistance. He was the guilty party, not her… but Kahlan could still not forgive herself, especially when two people had died as a result of what she had done, not to mention having put Richard in jeopardy. For weeks she had been telling him how confessors were the instruments of fair and righteous justice in the Midlands, and that one day almost shattered her self-confidence.

She had also been terrified that discovering she could be wrong about things would somehow diminish the obvious love that radiated from Richard's eyes when he looked at her. Though, she knew now that that fear had been unjustified. Richard did love her, and he said he always would. There trip back to Hartland to help Chase had proved that to her. Richard had been reunited with Anna, his former sweetheart. Kahlan had bit back her own feelings of losing him to another women, and suggested that when they defeated Darken Rahl he could then come back to Hartland and start a family with Anna.

Richard had looked at her oddly for a moment and shook his head, smiling slyly. "I couldn't do that," he had said. "It wouldn't be fair to Anna."

"Why?" Kahlan had asked, secretly eager to hear his answer.

He looked at her with his warm brown eyes as they slowly filled with the love he held for her. "Because," he had replied. "My heart belongs to another."

Kahlan shuddered and a small sad smile formed on her lips as she came back to reality. Her heart pounded fiercely with the love she had for her Seeker. Oh, how she missed Richard! His presence and the unconditional love that radiated off from him was a source of comfort for her. She was in need of that comfort in this place, a place she did not like one bit. Kahlan found the entire region—Septor, Tartum, and the whole Angrass Valley, disgusting in both their decadence and perversion. If she ever managed to escape this place, she would never wish to return, unless it was at the head of an army. It was painfully obvious that these people had been without the supervision of the Midlands Council for some time. Though, with the negative field surrounding the region, Kahlan could understand why the council would let the valley govern itself, because the confessors could not deal out justice in an area where their powers were useless.

A bell sounded, and Kahlan blinked, peeking through the latticework to watch Betto depart from a group of women, who had all been fawning over him, as he stepped up onto the platform.

"Guests and friends," Betto said, opening his arms wide with a smile that could match any politician's with false promises. "Thanks to the generosity of the noble Aulus Vintell, you, my dear ladies and gentlemen, are about to witness an extraordinary reenactment of one of the most sacred acts of all time… the union between the Creator and the Keeper… the very pious act that created mankind!"

A wave of applause made its way around the room. Betto grinned widely and his dark eyes sparkled. "You've all seen his skill and talent in the Pit," Betto said, stepping aside. "Now, witness his prowess in another field. I present, as the Keeper, champion of the arena… ROOK!"

The audience all cheered and applauded. Smiling wildly, Betto stepped down off the platform and waited for the uproar of approval to diminish. Two horns sounded and Betto cleared his throat.

"In a time before remembering, the Keeper, born into darkness becomes awake and aware. Lonely, he comes out of his solitude seeking companionship," Kahlan listened to the myth she had heard so many times, but now saw it in another light, tainted by the fact that the words were being twisted to satisfy the depraved need of these select few.

Somewhere musicians began to beat drums and the crowd parted. From the other side of the room, coming out from behind an identical set of latticework was Rook, wearing the iron snarling face of the Keeper. His muscled form was smeared with mud and dried sand. Blood had been splattered across his chest, and he looked the epitome of the Keeper of the Underworld. Kahlan's eyes grew wide when he stepped up onto the platform and she noticed that he was completely naked. He was definitely very impressive. She felt her heart flutter at the sight and she wanted to vomit from the fact that she was becoming aroused by the sight of him. Even though she had never made love with Richard, just being physically attracted to another man, a man who was about to be her first, felt like a betrayal of the love she had for her Seeker.

Betto appeared pleased by the audience's reaction, because he stopped his tale, allowing the women to blush, giggle, and gawk at Rook in all his glory. After a minute or two, he cleared his throat and continued. When he began speaking, Necor gestured for Kahlan to walk out from behind the latticework, and down the sand path that had been created for her, towards the raised platform and the waiting Keeper.

"Be strong, Kaya," he murmured softly, his eyes big and sorrowful.

Kahlan inclined her head and stiffened her back and shoulders, wanting to walk down this path that fate had created for her with courage and dignity. As she walked down the sandy path, seeing the leering looks from both men and women alike, Kahlan listened to Betto's words.

"Seeing the Keeper in all his glory, moved the Creator's heart," Betto spoke, notes from a harp playing a tune behind him. "Craving companionship of her own, needing to feel the love of the masculine, the feminine goddess, and creator of all life, descended from the heavens to meet the Keeper."

Kahlan's silvery form glided down the aisle created for her, either side marked by the grinning faces of the politicians, their wives, and the nameless sycophants of Septor. Kahlan reached the raised platform sooner than she had wished. She blinked and looked up through the eyeholes in her mask and saw Rook standing before her, offering a hand to help her up. Taking a quick breath, Kahlan willed herself to accept his hand. He was strong and his touch gentler than she had expected. As she climbed up onto the platform, the harp made a flurry of noise, joined in by the flutes, bells, and drums.

"Awed by the sight before her, the Creator reaches out and touches the Keeper!" Betto continued on in his narration.

Kahlan gulped, well aware that his narration was a hidden way of instructing her what to do. She stood there for a moment, Rook still holding her hand. The room remained silent for a while, and out of the corner of her eye, Kahlan could see a frown forming on Betto's regal face. Then, as if sensing her nervousness, Rook took the hand he was holding and pulled it to his chest.

She let out a soft gasp at how hard and firm his muscles were. And she hated how her stomach seemed to be doing flips. Closing her eyes and swallowing past her pride and guilt at what she was going to have to do, Kahlan flowed her hand along his chiseled chest, feeling the strength of his muscles. The flutes and harp continued, playing a slow lullaby kind of melody. Flirting her eyes opened, Kahlan stared at his chest, noticing all the cuts, scars, and bruises hidden beneath the plaster of mud. She tentatively looked up at the snarling face, seeing dark eyes look down at her. Looking away, Kahlan continued running her hand over his muscles.

"Pleased with what she sees, the Creator seeks to arouse this perfect specimen of masculinity," Betto narrated, telling her what to do.

Kahlan prayed to the good spirits, asking them to give her the strength to do this. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine that Rook was Richard, and that the male member she was about to touch with her hand was that of her Seeker, not some arena fighter. Opening her eyes, Kahlan stared blankly at Rook's chest as she slowly danced her fingers down past his hard abdomen, feeling his muscle flex as she reached out and grabbed him in her hand. Slowly, biting her tongue, she began to massage and stroke him, seeking to arouse him as quickly as possible. Kahlan knew that this sick display was meant to last a while, but she wanted it over.

The musicians played their instruments, giving her a rhythm to work with. "A pity that mask covers her mouth, Gaius," Kahlan heard Vintell mutter to Betto. "I should have liked to see her suck his cock."

"It could be arranged," Betto remarked offhandedly.

"No, that is all right," a woman's voice spoke up. "I had requested the deflowering of the Creator, and if she takes that mask off, she would just be some whore."

"Ah, my wife is correct," Vintell said. "Pay it no mind, Gaius. Though, for a virgin, she seems to be doing quite well at stimulating the arena champion." Kahlan caught her breath, feeling Rook grow firmer in her hand.

"Are you sure she's a virgin?" Vintell's wife asked. "She seems far to familiar with what she is doing."

"Her virtue and purity is guaranteed," purred Betto.

Kahlan could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was she going to have to endure this all with them constantly making commentary during the whole thing? But Vintell's wife was correct. Rook was now very firm and hard in her hand. His chest was slowly rising and falling, his breathing having grown heavier. Her cheeks flushed as she looked down through the eyeholes of her mask, seeing his aroused state. Oh, how she wished he were Richard!

It would make what was too come all the more bearable, knowing that it was him, instead of someone else. She could handle the audience. Her training as a confessor had given her the ability to block out her surroundings. But with the knowledge that the man to take her maidenhood was not Richard, Kahlan did not know if she had the willpower, not to mention the unwelcome arousal she was feeling at seeing and feeling Rook's arousal was making her feel guilty and ashamed.

She did not know why it did. Richard and her were not a couple. They loved each other, yes, but it could never be. And if Kahlan could not have Richard, she at least wanted him to be happy, even if she could never be happy. Eventually, she would have to take a mate and conceive a confessor. She would not blame Richard if he left her then. Kahlan thought that would be best. Neither one would want to see the other with someone else. Not with how they felt about each other. Yes, Kahlan nodded absently, lost in her thoughts. Richard would be better without her around. His love for her was only holding him back from having a happy life, and Kahlan, no matter how she felt about him, was not going to stand in the way of Richard having a happy life.

"The Keeper, now fully aroused, tears the veil separating him from the Creator," Betto spoke up, his voice evidently higher with enjoyment of the spectacle.

Rook brushed her hand away and gripped the hem of the gold silk nightgown she wore. Kahlan looked up, biting her lower lip, tasting the silver paint. With one swift movement, Rook tore her nightgown from her and flung it out into the audience. Kahlan heard women squeal and scamper for it.

"Seeing the Creator in all of her glory drives the Keeper mad!" Betto continued on with the story, the flutes and drums going wild.

His hands were around her waist and he was lifting her up into the air. Kahlan involuntarily let out a cry as he pulled her off her feet, depositing her on the padded bench.

"He has to have her! He has to have her… NOW!" Betto continued.

Rook grabbed her legs and pulled them apart. Kahlan shuddered, both terrified and aroused. She hated herself for being aroused. The man looming over her was impressive, yes, but he was not Richard. As Rook's hands ran over her silver-painted legs, Kahlan squirmed, trying to get up. She heard laughter from the audience, as she kicked and threw her hands up at Rook.

"She fights back!" chortled Betto. "But the Keeper is too strong. He pins her down, holding her hands above her head."

Rook grabbed her wrists with one hand, pinning them both above her head. As Betto continued with the hidden instructions, Rook obeyed, groping Kahlan's breasts and pushing her legs apart with his knee. Kahlan thrashed beneath him, tears pouring out of her eyes, smearing the paint hidden beneath the mask. She saw dark eyes looking down at her through the snarling iron mask. They looked sorrowful and regretful, but determined. However, no lust or desire was in them. She shivered, at least he was not taking any pleasure in what he was being forced to do. Kahlan let out a gasp, feeling his free hand touch her between her legs, pushing apart her folds, preparing her for him to enter. And then their eyes locked.

"I'm sorry," Rook whispered. "Please, forgive me. But I… I must do this… to… to survive."

Kahlan's mind snapped, her jaw freezing shut. She stared up at those dark eyes, seeing their true color reflected in the glow cast by the hanging braziers. Brown. His eyes were a warm brown. And his voice. Spirits, Kahlan knew that voice! It was music to her ears. Her heart began to flutter with hope, hope that she was right, and that her mind was not playing some wicked trick on her. As the music from the flutes and drums rose up to a crescendo, in anticipation of the moment the Keeper entered the Creator, Kahlan Amnell opened her mouth and spoke in a soft whimper, filled with all the hope she had left.

"Richard?"


	7. Chapter 7

He was poised to push up into her. Kahlan could feel him against the folds of her opening. But, the moment she spoke, Rook froze above her, his eyes going wide as he stared deeply into hers. And that's how they stayed, staring at each other, seeing past the masks they wore. The audience, the music, it all drifted away and it was just the two of them.

"Ka—Kahlan?" he gasped.

"Yes," Kahlan murmured. "Richard?"

He lowered himself over her, bringing his face inches away from hers. She shivered slightly when she felt his hardness brush against her inner thigh. The laughter of the crowd pulled Kahlan from her focus, and she knitted her eyebrows, hoping that they were assuming that Rook was just taunting her about what he was about to do. No… not Rook… Richard… Oh, could it be  _her_  Richard?

Rook hovered over her, their masked faces inches away from one another. "Oh, spirits, I thought I lost you," it was  _his_  voice, and with his face closer, even hidden behind that ghastly mask, with his eyes staring into hers, Kahlan knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Rook was her Richard. She could tell by the way his arms tensed that he was fighting the urge to simply wrap her in his arms.

"Oh, Richard," Kahlan whimpered, her voice filling with joy at being reunited with him, even under the present circumstances. Then her cheeks blushed as she realized what she had done. She… she had touched Richard down there, felt him grow firm and hard in her hand. She had stimulated him, brought him to the aroused state he was now in. Her blush grew warmer as she felt said arousal pressing against her thighs as he leaned over her. Kahlan racked in a deep breath, opening up her senses and feeling the heat radiating off his naked body as he loomed over her. And… and he had touched her down there, in her special place. Spirits, his hand was still down there, touching her most private of places.

She blinked and looked up into his eyes, seeing his hidden smile reflected in his warm brown eyes. He released her wrists, allowing her to bring her hands down to her sides. She fought the urge to hug him in a fierce embrace, though she made her feeling plain in her eyes. "We… we can't let them know that we know each other," Kahlan forced out in a quick whisper, hating herself for saying it when she desperately wanted to touch him and be touched by him. She squirmed beneath him, feigning resistance and letting out soft cries that were elicited from vile things she pretended the personification of Rook was taunting her with. The audience seemed to buy it, because they were all laughing loudly.

Richard's other hand was still between her legs and she rolled her hips, encouraging him to continue touching her down there. She might have to feign anguish and terror, but she wanted to enjoy the feel of Richard entering her. He leaned back slightly, his eyes screaming confusion and worry. He gave a slight shake of his head, just enough that only she could notice. Beckoning with her eyes, she instructed him to lean back down.

"Grab my breast," she hissed softly when he did so.

"What?"

"You heard me," Kahlan almost snapped. "Richard… they're expecting us to perform for them. And make it look rough!"

"But Kahlan… I can't…," he gulped. "Spirits, you know I've wanted to do this for so long, but not like this, not now, with everyone watching. I… I wanted it to be special when… And what… what about your powers? I… I'd be confessed."

"They don't work here," she told him quickly. "I cannot confess you." It touched her heart that he wanted it to be special for her, but Kahlan understood the importance of surviving in a place like this. And her strength had just quadrupled with the knowledge that her Seeker was alive and well, not to mention poised to do that which she had always dreamt of him doing.

"Kahlan…," he murmured, pleading with her, though his hand had moved and he was cupping her breast, his thumb slowly caressing her soft flesh.

"No… just… just do it, Richard," she stammered, having already made up her mind. If this was the only time she could have Richard, even despite the circumstances and in the present company, Kahlan wanted him. "I'm not going to let this opportunity slip by, Richard," she spoke in a calmer voice. "I have wanted to give myself to you for so long, I have been aching for this. And… and I want you to do it, even if it cannot be special, as we both wish… at least we can finally be together." She paused and took a quick breath. "You will do as Betto commanded you to do, Seeker. You will ravish me like the Keeper did with the Creator in the beginning of all things."

There was a long pause, where all she could hear was the jabbering and laughter of the depraved people whom they were performing for. "If that is what you want, Kahlan, then… then I will do as you command, my… my Confessor," Richard relented, his hand caressing her breast. He squeezed, and though the act looked rough and hard, it was actually surprisingly gentle, and oh, how she enjoyed the feel of his hand on her flesh, especially with the way his thumb teased her nipple.

"Before we do this, Kahlan," Richard leaned closer to her, lowering his voice even more. "I must tell you something." She nodded and waited. "I… I love you, Kahlan Amnell."

"I love you, too, Richard Cypher," she murmured back.

Her heart seemed to burst with joy at hearing him say those words. Richard was probably the first man to ever truly fall in love with a confessor before becoming confessed. Spirits, there was even a part of Kahlan that thought that maybe… just maybe, his love might be strong enough to overcome her powers. She had even allowed herself to hope beyond hope that Richard could find a way past her powers. But now, here they were, in the Angress Valley, surrounded by a negative field that negated all her powers just as effective as a Rada'Han would. It was at the moment, with Richard looming over her, preparing to enter her, that Kahlan suddenly remembered that the mysterious ore that those magical collars were made of came from the mountains that loomed over this very valley.

"Now…," Kahlan turned her voice more serious, despite the burning desire and wanton need that was rising in her chest. "We must convince them that I am not a willing participant… even if I secretly am."

She winked and cried out, pushing him back, her fingernails drawing blood. Kahlan winced when she saw the blood drip from his chest; she had not intended that. She mouthed  _sorry_ before she remembered that the mask covered her lips. However, looking through the eyeholes in the snarling Keeper mask Richard wore, she could tell that he understood, and was not injured—at least emotionally—from her scratch, understanding that they needed to put on an act.

Initially, when Kahlan found out that Rook was Richard, her first thought had been that they needed to escape. But then she had reminded herself that they were in a packed room and that, though Necor was an honorable man, the same could not be said for the other guards. So, Kahlan had decided that she would have that which she had wanted since she had met Richard. Him.

The crowd laughed as she and Richard feigned a struggle. "See… what did I say, she's a fighter!" Vintell roared, elbowing Betto.

Richard grabbed her kicking legs and steadied them as she thrashed beneath him, groaning and crying out in fake terror. However, she made sure that she kept her knees away from his groin. She did not want to injure him, especially since she was going to take this one shot to finally be with him, even if she had to do so while pretending she was being raped for the amusement of the degenerates who were watching them.

There was also a part of her that was a little turned on by their role-playing. She could already feel a wet warmth coalescing between her legs, something that she had only ever felt since she had met Richard and begun daydreaming about him. Richard grappled her legs with his, holding them still. Kahlan wiggled a bit, not really trying to get away, because she actually wanted it. Her heart was pounding with excitement at the feel of Richard resting himself between her thighs. She had longed to feel this, and even though it was not under the best circumstances, she was glad to be feeling it now. He grabbed her arms and held them to her sides. Kahlan relished the feel of her breasts pressing up against his bare chest as he leaned over her.

"Are you ready?" he breathed out in a fast whisper.

"I… I don't know?" Kahlan gulped, suddenly remembering that she knew nothing about sex except that Richard would be inserting himself into her. She was worried she would not be pleasing to him.

Richard shifted her arms, holding her wrists in one hand—for show—as he backed off her a bit, slipping his free hand between them, feeling her femininity. Kahlan shivered with delight when his fingers touched her, and she could swear by the glint in Richard's warm brown eyes that he was smiling at her reaction.

"Oh, trust me, you're ready," he replied, his eyes beaming at her.

"Then do it, my Seeker," Kahlan murmured. "Make me yours."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you tell me that, Kahlan," Richard whispered back. His hand came back up and he gripped her as she squirmed for the show.

A tingle ran up her spine as she felt him brush against her folds. Then ever so gently, Richard pushed himself past her threshold, breaking her barrier. Kahlan involuntarily gasped, and it must have been loud because the crowd cheered for Rook's success. She squinted as tears escaped from her eyes, feeling the pain of her barrier being broken. Kahlan could have endured the pain, even if it had not been Richard. But it made it easier to do so, knowing the man above her was Richard, the man she had longed to be her first and only.

Richard leaned over her, moving his hand up her arm, secretly rubbing it tenderly. "Are you all right?" he shot out in a whisper.

She sniffled and gave a slight nod, barely visible, but just enough that he could see. She heard him take a deep breath and he moved his hand, gripping her side. Slowly, he pushed himself even further into her. Kahlan felt her body tremble and quiver, the pain seemed to increase for a second and then it was suddenly gone. Richard backed his hips up, groaning slightly before thrusting himself back into her.

Kahlan caught her breath, feeling his length push up into her. Almost instinctively, she commanded her inner muscles to clench around him. Richard let out a low throaty groan and she glimpsed his eyes fog with pleasure. She relaxed her muscles and let him continue to move. Her hands felt useless as they just laid at her side. She no longer wanted to fake a struggle against this, even if the people were watching. As the pain of her barrier being broken had subsided, it had been replaced by the slow rising sensations of pleasure. Kahlan wanted to bask in the feel of Richard inside her. It had been a feeling she had longed to feel ever since she had begun to fall in love with him. As Richard continued to thrust himself back and forth within her, Kahlan let out a soft whimpering moan, feeling the first stirrings of the physical pleasure she had often heard normal women speak of.

Her cheeks flushed and her breath grew heavy as her heart quickened in pace, causing her chest to heave. Richard let go of her arms, and moved his hand to her breast, keeping his other hand on her side, holding her. Kahlan arched her neck, looking through the eyeholes of the mask, watching as his large hand massaged and squeezed her breasts. Throwing her head back, Kahlan sucked in a deep breath. She had no idea what it would have felt like if Rook had not been Richard, but the pain had only been temporary, only lasting for about a minute or so. And with each one of Richard's movements, her insides screamed with pleasure, causing her mind to become fogged with a kind of bliss she had never felt before. She heard Richard groan softly, and she smiled behind her mask, hoping that that was a sign that she was pleasing to him.

"Flip her over, Rook!" Betto's shout reminded Kahlan that they had an audience, and that this was not the ideal time to lose one's self in the ecstasy of physical love. "Take her from behind!"

Richard cocked his head and nodded, pretending to be the loyal arena champion. He lowered himself over Kahlan. "You're not resisting enough, Kahlan," he told her in a low whisper. "Remember…?"

"I… I… okay… I'll try," she managed to choke out, still overwhelmed at how perfectly Richard seemed to fit inside her. It was hard to think clearly, especially when everything the Seeker did, either with his hands on her chest or between her legs, caused her to go numb with pleasure. She let out a soft whimper when he pulled himself out of her. Her eyes flirted around and she noticed Vintell and some of the others jostle for position to see her femininity and the virgin's blood. She swallowed in disgust, but then Richard's hands turned her attention away from those vile creatures.

Gripping her hips in feigned roughness, Richard spun her around, pushing her head into the pads on the bench and pulling her silver-painted bottom up into the air. Kahlan did her best to make it look like she was resisting, kicking her legs, until Richard pushed them down, using his own legs to lock them in place. He grabbed the back of her neck with his hand, and gently pushed her down, though they both made it look like he was being rougher than he actually was. Kahlan let out a scream when he thrust himself back into her. She knew that Richard was not hurt by the feigned anguish and pain in the scream, because she squeezed at him with her inner muscles when he pulled back in his thrust, letting him know that she was enjoying what he was doing, even if she had to pretend otherwise.

Richard's hands snaked around her body and grabbed her breasts. Planting her knees into the pads of the bench, Richard pulled at her until her back was pressed up against his hard chest. He rested his masked head on her silver-painted shoulder and continued taking her from behind. Kahlan moaned softly, just loud enough for only Richard to hear as he released one of her breasts and let his hand drift down her body to her femininity. She had no idea what he was doing, but he touched her down there in such a way that it made her quiver. His touches stirred sensations that were eerily similar to that of the release of her powers. But she knew it was not her powers, because that feeling started in the pit of her stomach and clenched her chest before she released it. This feeling just seemed to coalesce and mix together between her legs, while also causing her cheeks to flush. She bit her lower lip as she felt a wetness drip down her inner thighs. Kahlan had no doubt that her pale skin was flushing bright pink beneath the silver paint from her arousal and sexual pleasure.

"Richard… what… what are you doing to me?" she murmured between breaths, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Have you never pleasured yourself?" Richard whispered back in a husky voice as he continued to pound his hips against her backside.

"No… no."

Richard chuckled softly. "Then this is all new to you? All right…," he took a shallow breath, pausing briefly in his movements, having pushed himself as deep as possible from this position. "I'm helping to stimulate you to climax, Kahlan. I want you to reach release as well."

Kahlan's eye grew wide. She liked the sound of that, however, she did not think it was wise. "Richard… that might not be a good idea," she informed him in panting breaths as he continued his motions.

"Huh?" he grunted.

"Remember, as far as they are concerned, I am being raped," Kahlan muttered. "If… if I release, they may figure out that we know each other."

"I… I don't care, Kahlan," Richard huffed, his voice a little too loud. Her eyes darted across the audience, hoping none of them had heard. Thankfully the music in the background was loud enough to hide their words, and their masks covered their moving lips.

"All… all right," Kahlan relented with a shudder, letting herself go, enjoying what he was doing to her.

Oh, how she loved it when his hips made contact with her bottom as he thrust up into her. Spirits, she was fighting the urge to move her hand to rest it over the hand that was holding her breasts. And oh, how she wished she could kiss him, making the act they were doing more intimate and meaningful, even if they were performing for degenerates. But since they were performing, Kahlan would give them a show.

She tried to move away from Richard, but he gripped her tight. "The paint's smudging," he chuckled quietly in her ear, pulling back almost all the way before shoving himself back up into her, causing her entire body to quake with delight.

"Well, you smell terrible," she joked back, panting. "Whose idea was it to plaster you in filth and mud?"

"Who do you think? The Consul," Richard answered, bringing his hand up to her throat—while keeping the other between her legs—faking a choke hold on her to make her comply. Kahlan obediently let out a loud whimper of anguish. "He thought it would be amusing for me to be covered in such filth since I would be defiling a vir—" his voice cut off and he stopped his movements. "Spirits, Kahlan… I… I…"

"Shh," Kahlan hissed, noticing the glances of Betto and Vintell. "It's all right. I wanted you… I've wanted you since the moment we met. Do not worry. I want you. I want you even now, when we are being watched and made to perform for these sick people."

"Oh spirits, Kahlan… I love you," Richard groaned into her ear and continued humping her. Kahlan shivered, feeling the cold metal of his mask brush against her bare shoulder.

Richard's hand around her throat tensed, and she knew he must be approaching his release. She looked around, feeling guilty for not relishing the moment of connection between her and Richard as she worried about the people around them. Kahlan knew that for them to be safe, these degenerates needed to be pleased with the performance. So, Kahlan reckoned that Richard needed to last longer.

"Richard…," she stammered out through soft moans of pleasure, still trying to find a balance between her own pleasure and the fake cries of anguish and terror she was supposed to be making. "We… we need to make it last longer. Tell… tell me what to do to help."

"Spirits, Kahlan… I don't know if I can last any longer," Richard groaned into her ear. "It's been so long since I've been with a woman and finally to have you… it… it's overwhelming."

"You… you have to slow down," Kahlan whimpered feeling him pound into her backside. "And… and you might have to stop trying to pleasure me." She hated telling him that, knowing by the groan he made that he wanted to do nothing else but please her. But Kahlan knew that these people were not expecting to see her react at all in pleasure. To them, she was an unwilling participant, and they would grow confused if she should let her true feelings of being in the heat of rapture manifest.

"Kahlan?" his voice was pleading as he slowed his movements.

"I… I know you want to please me," she whispered back quickly, wanting to end the conversation. Kahlan was noticing that Betto was beginning to grow suspicious with how long they had been holding this position. "But for our survival, you must. Do… do it for me, Richard. Do it for us."

"Yes… yes, my Confessor," Richard whispered softly, so that only she would hear.

His hand moved away from her special place and he grabbed her breast, squeezing it. He pushed her face down into the padded cushion and shoved himself deeper into her. Behind the mask, Kahlan's face contorted in pleasure at the feel of Richard's length pushing into her depths, though she managed to let out a horrific scream that convinced the audience that she was in terror.

"He certainly has a long threshold, this Rook," Vintell said, nodding with approval. "But I grow tired. Tell him to finish with her. My wife and I wish to start our own entertainment soon."

Betto gave a nod. "Rook!" he shouted. "Stop fooling around. Get it over with. Seed the bitch!"

Richard growled in response, slipping himself out of her and flipping her over. He pressed her back into the cushions and yanked her legs apart. Kahlan looked up through the eyeholes and looked past the hideous snarling mask into Richard's eyes. His hands caressed her silver-painted legs and he thrust himself into her. He loomed over her, moving with purpose. Kahlan obediently whimpered and moaned in despair and misery, though in truth she was relishing every second of it, and she made sure to tell Richard with her eyes.

He grabbed her hips, ceasing her squirming and pounded into her, thrusting himself as deep as possible. Kahlan felt him tense and then a warm feeling erupted inside her. Richard's shoulders stiffened and he let out a low groan before collapsing on top of her.

"Ah!" Betto cheered and pounced up onto the stage. "Planting his seed within the fertile womb of the Creator, the Keeper has fulfilled his role in the creation of life." He clapped his hands in the air and the flutes and drums did a little tune. Betto arched his head back to them and grinned. "Excellent performance, Rook," he winked. "Perhaps you will like to entertain her some more once you have had time to bathe."

Underneath the mask, Kahlan smiled, liking the idea. She conveyed this to Richard by squeezing his still hard manhood with her inner muscles. He groaned slightly, just loud enough that only she heard.

"Yes, I would like that very much, Master," Richard said, leaning back and slipping out of her. "You are most kind and generous."

Betto nodded, seemingly pleased with himself, and turned back to the audience. "Now, for the rest of the evening's entertainment! My slaves will escort you to the proper rooms. Enjoy! Enjoy!"

The crowd applauded and begun to buzz about, eager to move on to the other part of the evening's activities. Some of the men passed by them, squinting and arching their necks, trying to get a glimpsed of her ravaged femininity. Kahlan shuddered and curled up, doing her best to look like a terrified victim of rape. Richard stood up off the bench, his shoulders tensing, and Kahlan got the feeling he was contemplating snapping Betto's neck. Before the Master of the House turned back to them, Kahlan grabbed Richard's hand and caught his attention, shaking her head, telling him not to do anything.

As the group dispersed, Betto jumped off the platform and summoned Necor. The fair-haired guard came up with Esser and Helios. He pounded his fist to his chest. "Master?"

"Rook performed well," Betto said, grinning. "He has earned the reward of company for the rest of the night." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed to Kahlan. "Let him have Kaya for the rest of the evening. We'll see if he can soften her up. I have plans for her."

Necor pounded his fist to his chest in salute and bowed his head. "As you command, Master."

"Good," Betto wrinkled his nose and looked at Richard. "Take them to the bath, they can have the room to themselves. I'm sure Rook is looking forward to doing more intimate things with his  _Creator_." He laughed and then strolled off to speak with his other employees and household slaves.

Necor stepped forward and stood before the platform. "You heard the Master, Rook," he said, glaring at Richard. "You get to spend some more time with her. Go with Helios to the baths."

Richard nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Kahlan. His eyes told her that he was looking forward to seeing her alone in the baths. Kahlan did her best to continue the display of a violated victim, curling up in the fetal position and ignoring Rook's stare. Richard hopped off the platform and followed Helios and Esser out. When the room was empty, Necor stepped up onto the platform and knelt beside Kahlan.

"I'm so sorry, Kaya," he mumbled. "It appears you're evening is not over yet. The Master has promised Rook that he can have you for the rest of the night."

Kahlan darted her eyes around, seeing if they were truly alone. When she was convinced that they were, she spoke: "Good."

"What? Kaya, are you alright?" Necor furrowed his brow as he reached behind her head and untied the ribbon. He removed the mask from her face and gaped her face, reading her expression. "Rook. You… you know him?"

Swallowing past the uncertainty, Kahlan squinted up at Necor as he helped her sit up. With the mask off, her true emotions were made apparent, and to be honest, she was still overwhelmed with finally having been given the opportunity, no matter the circumstances, to be with Richard. She quickly ran through the decisions, weighing the pros and cons. In the end, Kahlan decided she was going to have to trust Necor. Out of all the people she had met in this place, he was the most trustworthy and honorable.

"Yes," Kahlan spoke softly in a confident and firm voice, nodding. "I know him."

Necor gaped at her. "How?"

"We… we were captured together," Kahlan answered. "He is the man I love, the man I thought I would never get to see again."

"Really? You're not just telling me this to ease my conscience?" Necor asked, looking dubious as he helped her stand.

Kahlan laughed slightly. "Yes, really. Rook… well, his name is not really Rook—"

"The Master gave him that name after he saw him fight," Necor interjected.

"Yes, well, he is quite a fighter," Kahlan grinned, her eyes brightening.

"So it was all an act?" he questioned, removing his cloak and draping it over her shoulders. "The screams and moans of agony and despair…" Necor's eyes were watery. "I… I believed them. It was hard to watch."

Kahlan went stone-faced. "I… I was unaware we were that convincing," she said. "I'm sorry you had to suffer through that… Rich—" she paused, not knowing if she should use the Seeker's name just yet. "Um… Rook, he wanted to please me, but I told him that we had to focus more on the display." A grin formed on her face. "But now that Betto's given me to him for the evening I know he cannot wait to show me what he has longed to showed me since the day we met."

Necor blushed slightly, placing a tender hand on her arm. "Then, Kaya, despite the circumstances, I'm happy for you, that your first time was with a man you loved and not someone else."

"Thank you," Kahlan inclined her head, tugging the cloak tighter around her.

"Now," Necor grinned, stepping off the stage and offering her his hand. "Let us get you to the bath so you can spend more time with your love."

Kahlan beamed. "Yes, please, let's do."


	8. Chapter 8

Necor opened the double doors to the large opulent room that had the big pool-like bath that Kahlan had been brought to wash on her very first day of her captivity. But unlike that day, Kahlan's heart was pounding with anticipation for what was to await her in that pool. Though they had just been together in the most intimate of ways, surrounded by a crowd of decadent and depraved people, they had not really had the opportunity to reunite in the manner she had wished. Now, though, as Necor opened the doors, Kahlan was chewing on her lower lip, smiling as she peered through the threshold and spotted the lone figure wading in the far end of the pool, occasionally splashing water over his head.

"I'll give you two an hour," Necor spoke softly. "Then I'll escort you back to your quarters, where you can spend the rest of the night together."

Kahlan gave a nod, and then surprised the man by giving him a big hug. "Thank you, Necor," she whispered into his ear.

"For what?" the big man relaxed and hugged her back.

"For being such a good friend in a place like this," she squeezed him then stepped through the doorway.

"Enjoy yourself, Kaya," he murmured, giving her a small smile. "You deserve it."

Kahlan nodded another thank you, then turned around to reunite with her Seeker. A thud resounded throughout the large marble room as the doors closed and were locked, causing the swimmer to spin around. Kahlan beamed, seeing his face for the first time in what seemed like ages. Richard grinned from ear to ear, his eyes sparkling. And for a moment they just stared at one another. Then, like a giddy schoolgirl, Kahlan pulled Necor's cloak off her shoulders and practically skipped down the marble steps into the pool. She waded through the water, rushing towards her Seeker… her best friend… her lover. Yes. That was what Kahlan wanted Richard to be, more than a friend, a lover.

As Mother Confessor, and one of the last confessors, Kahlan needed to plan ahead for the conception of more confessors. She would ask Richard if he would be her mate and lover, and before they escaped from this accursed place, she would talk him into allowing her to purchase a Rada'Han, so that they could be together when they left the negative field created by the Roh'machtig mountains. Yes, Kahlan nodded to herself, that was what she was going to do. Richard was an ideal candidate to be the father of confessors, and besides, she loved him and only ever wanted to be with him in that most intimate of ways, which he had been the first to introduce her too.

Richard met her halfway and immediately wrapped his strong arms around her, slightly pulling her up off her feet, hugging her tightly. And then, without hesitation or pause, they rammed their mouths against one another in a fierce and passionate kiss that left them both breathless. Kahlan had only really ever kissed him once like this, and at the time she had believed it as a terrible mistake that could have potentially destroyed the man she loved with so much of her heart. Now, however, knowing that her powers could not harm him, Kahlan let go and basked in all the feelings and sensations that his lips against hers caused within her body.

Backing up to catch their breaths, Richard rested his forehead against hers. "Oh spirits, Kahlan," he murmured into her lips as they shared the same air. "You… you have no idea how long I've waited to kiss you like that."

Kahlan bit her lower lip and stared back at him, blushing slightly. "I may know more than you think, Seeker," she jested back. "You… you're the first man I've ever kissed."

Richard arched an eyebrow. "Really? There wasn't some boy when you were a little girl?"

"Richard," Kahlan let out a breath, sometimes forgetting that he truly did not know anything about her upbringing or the Midlands. "Confessors don't have normal lives. I was never allowed to be around boys my own age. Even the Sisters of the Light at Thandore knew better than to allow me and Dennee to mingle with boys our age, especially when I started to blossom into womanhood."

He paused for a moment, his hands resting on her shoulders, his thumbs affectionately caressing her bare skin. "So, you were telling the truth, then?" he said.

"Huh?"

"When you told me that you never pleasured yourself?" he questioned in a quick breath, half flushing at the frankness of his question.

Kahlan flirted her eyes up and stared into his. "No," she answered. "I… I was never really taught much about that sort of thing. When it came to… to relations between a man and a woman, the older confessors only told us what was necessary to conceive a child. They never mentioned anything about deriving pleasure from the act of doing so."

"Odd," Richard frowned. He then shook his head, dismissing the topic and hugged her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I… I'm glad your okay."

She sucked in a deep breath, feeling all the fears and worries she had felt when she had first woke up in that dark dank cell several days ago. "I… I was afraid you had been killed," she whimpered, looking down absently at his chest, running her fingers along the scars and cuts. Chewing her lower lip, she looked back up at him. "Are  _you_  okay?" she asked, fingering a long scar that ran down the left side of his chest.

Richard took in a deep breath and simply held her for a while. "I am… now," he finally answered. "I won't lie, Kahlan… it has been difficult. The things I've had to do to survive." He gulped, looking sick with himself. "I… I would have done it," he said, referring to the depraved play they were forced to do. "I would have raped the girl playing the Creator… to… to survive for another day… another day in which I could look for a way to escape and find you."

Kahlan's heart was breaking with his self-loathing at what he would have done if it had not been her. She clutched him to her chest and allowed him to grieve, listening to his racking sobs.

"I've been kicking myself this entire time about what happened back at camp," he continued. "I… I had allowed myself to get distracted… daydreaming about you, giving those marauders an opening to rush in and capture us. I... it… it was my fault."

"Shh," Kahlan soothed him, rocking him gently in her arms. "What is done... is done. Leave it in the past. What matters now is that we are together again."

His nostrils flared as he inhaled through his nose. "I'm sorry."

"What did I just—"

"No, about what just happened," Richard said, looking up at her, his warm brown eyes filling with regret. "I never wanted to have you like that, Kahlan. Even though I knew you never thought we could be together, deep down, I always hoped that one day we could. And… and when that day came, I wanted it to be special. I… I…," he was choking up, tears running down his cheeks. "Oh spirits, Kahlan, I wanted to give you so much… but now… now that is impossible, because I've taken it away from you. And for what? For the sick pleasure of those vile monsters who wanted nothing more than to watch a poor girl be raped on a stage for their own amusement!"

Kahlan hugged him again, pulling his head to her shoulder. She rubbed her hands up and down his back, trying to comfort him. She understood why he was so upset. She had wanted their first time—if they ever got a first time—to be something special, but they could not change the past or what had happened. Tentatively, she began pressing soft kisses against his neck and jawbone, trying to soothe him and remind him that she loved and cared for him.

"I am not sorry for what happened, Richard," Kahlan said in a firm voice, using her training to hide her own tumultuous emotions. "Though, I will be honest, it was not the way I expected to lose my virginity. That being said, I want you to know that I have no regrets about losing it to you, or the manner in which I lost it, because it was you and not someone else."

He heaved in a deep sob and leaned back, gazing down at her with watery eyes. "I'm sorry," he shook his head. "Here I am being a mess, when you've been the one to suffer the most." He backed away and looked down at her. "Here… let's get you cleaned up. I'd like to see you as you really are. Even though, you do make a strikingly beautiful Creator."

Kahlan gave a soft smile and nodded. "Will… will you clean me?" she asked hopefully, wanting to feel his hands roam over her body as he rid her skin of the silver paint.

"If that is what you want, then yes, of course I will," Richard smiled back, as she wiped the remnants of his tears from his face.

He held her hand as they drifted across to the edge of the pool where the soap holders were. Richard reached up and grabbed a bar. Turning her around, he hovered behind her and began massaging the soap bar against her shoulders and lower back. Kahlan closed her eyes and basked in his gentle touch as he worked the soapy substance into her skin, clearing it of the silver paint.

"Oooh, that feels good," she moaned softly.

"You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of bathing with you, Kahlan," Richard replied, she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Let me guess, it began when you caught me bathing at that waterfall," she replied, grinning at the memory of turning around and seeing the Seeker gazing longingly at her backside.

"Well, it was a nice view," Richard quipped back, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her shoulder as he lifted her hair up, giving himself room to rub the soap along her slender neck. Kahlan sighed, enjoy both the kiss and feel of his hands.

"I'm sure it was, Seeker," she retorted. "I didn't mind the sight of you when I saw you step onto the stage."

Richard chuckled. "I bet you blushed like crazy under that mask once you realized it was me," he said.

Kahlan smiled and bit her lower lip, trying to stifle the blush that came from him mentioning her blushing. "Well, it felt better than having to do it while thinking it wasn't you."

He stopped. "What if it was not me?" Richard suddenly asked. "What would you have done?"

She was caught off guard by the question. It was not something she wanted to think about, especially since she had been partially aroused by the sight of Rook without knowing he was Richard and thinking he was another man. "Well, the struggle would not have been fake, is that's what you're asking," Kahlan replied quickly, wanting to ease his mind. "And… and I would not have enjoyed myself."

"You enjoyed yourself?" Richard's voice rose slightly.

"Oh, yes, Richard, I did," she purred. "When we connected, spirits, I just knew it was right. We… we just fit together so perfectly…" she allowed her voice to trail off, allowing her words to sink in. Richard's hands continued to massage her skin, ridding her of the silver paint. "So," Kahlan spoke up after a minute or two of just relaxing into his touch. "When did you start dreaming of bathing with me?" She arched her neck to look over her shoulder at him as he began working his hands on the small of her back. "Was it after the waterfall?"

"Actually, no, before that," Richard admitted with a chuckle. "Though when I stumbled upon you at that waterfall, it did give me some new images to add to my dreams."

"I knew you were lying when you said you didn't see anything," Kahlan smirked.

"It was hard not too look," Richard grinned. "You're so beautiful, Kahlan. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Even more beautiful than Anna?" she asked, not knowing why she even did so. She bit her lip, hoping she had not ruined the moment by mentioning an old flame.

"Kahlan, you are far superior to Anna… to any woman," Richard assured her, dropping his hands below the water to rub the soap bar against her bottom. Kahlan shivered in delight, loving the feel of his fingers skimming along the curve of her backside. "You, my dear confessor," he said, leaning forward to whisper into her ear, "are the epitome of beauty."

Kahlan bit her lower lip and blushed. Richard's hands moved to grip her hips and he spun her around to face him. She looked up at him from under her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really," Richard nodded and leaned down to kiss her. Kahlan closed her eyes, relishing the slow and tender way his lips pressed against hers.

"Oh, Richard," she whimpered in awe of his love. She fluttered her eyes open to see him smirk boyishly as he run his hands down her shoulders to help clear off the paint that was covering her chest. He locked eyes with her and moved his hands over her breasts, gently rubbing the paint off as he took the opportunity to tease her a bit. Kahlan giggled softly as he fondled her, enjoying every moment of it as his hands lingered just long enough to coax a pleasant moan from her throat.

Kahlan lost herself in the feel of his hands as he took control, washing her, rubbing and working the silver paint out of every corner and crevice of her skin. His hands tenderly worked their way between her legs, rubbing her inner thighs. Her eyes flirted down to look at his hard chest, watching as it move up and down as he breathed. She bit her lower lip, feeling her own breathing grow heavy and her cheeks warm with arousal. She knew that they had things to discuss, important things that could not wait, but being so close and exposed to him—not to mention, entirely alone—was almost too much for Kahlan to bear.

Richard looked down at her and winked, kissing her forehead, as his fingers slid between her legs to clean her special place. She shivered and gasped when she felt him touch her down there. Just days ago, after learning of the Blood Rage, Kahlan would never have let Richard touch her like this, now she could not think of any reason why she should not let him always touch her like this. The soap was making her skin slippery, and Richard rubbed her folds, caressing the spot that made her quiver with delight. Gasping slightly, Kahlan latched on to Richard, quaking as he began to move his fingers like he had when he had been trying to please her.

"Richard…?" she gasped, flirting her eyes up to look at him. His warm brown eyes were glowing with love and he smiled down at her, his hand continuing to work at her between her legs, as his other hand cupped her bottom, helping her to remain standing.

"I can't believe you've never pleasured yourself, Kahlan," he murmured. "If you had, you'll understand what it is am doing to you…" he paused, inches away from her lips. "Perhaps I should teach you, so that when I'm not around you can think of me as you touch yourself."

Kahlan let out a breathy moan. "Spirits, Richard… oh… it… how?" she stammered, her eyes glazing over with pleasure as her entire body seemed to quiver with ecstasy.

Her mouth dropped and she let out a long low moan as she felt him push one of his fingers up into her. His other hand shifted, firming up his hold on her bottom. He gave her a light squeeze and Kahlan felt her muscles tense. Her mouth refused to close and she had to rest her head on his shoulder, least she collapse. She closed her eyes and let out another low moan as Richard quickened the pace of his hand between her legs. Her entire body seemed on fire. Richard blew warm breaths across her neck and started kissing and sucking the supple flesh there.

"My… Richard, what… what are you…. you doing to me?" Kahlan managed to ask between panting breaths.

"I'm bringing you to release, Kahlan," he purred into ear. "Come for me, my Kahlan."

"Oh, Richard," Kahlan whimpered in exquisite rapture, feeling the warmth between her legs explode, sending a cascade of sensations rolling throughout her entire body, causing her to quiver and tremble. He held her to him, smiling into her neck as she squeezed at his fingers that were inside her. Spirits, she didn't even remembering when he had added the second finger.

The wave of pleasure the soared over her was unlike anything she had ever felt before. The only thing it came close to was her powers, but that was more of an exhaustive experience, whereas this release only brought peace and an extreme amount of pleasure. An amount she had never felt before. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she took a long slow breath to recovery. Arching her neck, she looked up at Richard.

"What… what was that?" she asked, utterly confused at what had just happened to her. Kahlan had never, in her entire life, felt anything like it. And she knew she had not released her powers, because the negative field in this valley prevented that. So, she depended on Richard to explain things to her.

"Kahlan? You… you just had an orgasm," he knitted his eyebrows and furrowed his brow. "Do you know anything about sex besides the fact that it is how we procreate?" Richard asked, his voice laced with surprise.

Kahlan blushed and averted her eyes, embarrassed about her naïveté when it came to matters of the flesh. "No. Does… does that disappoint you?"

"You'll never disappoint me, Kahlan," Richard caressed the side of her still flushed face, trying to get her to look at him. He let out a soft sigh, when she would not. "What? You think I have a vast number of experiences and memories to compare what it was like to be with you? Oh, Kahlan…," he shook his head, seemingly amused by her.

She did not know what was so funny. How could she possibly hope to compare to women like Anna? Kahlan had lived a sheltered life, always in the company of a confessor or wizard, and matters of physical pleasure were never discussed, at least not openly, and never to the young confessors like her.

"All right, Kahlan," Richard placed his hands on her arms, affectionately caressing them. "Let me tell you something… you may not believe it, but it is the truth, and you know how I feel about telling the truth."

She managed a weak nod, but kept her eyes averted. Richard held the truth in high regard. That was one of the reasons he was a true Seeker of Truth, because he sought it out and firmly believed in it. As long as she knew him, he had never wavered from it. Sometimes, to him, Kahlan thought that the truth was almost like a religion, he was that devoted to seeking it out and always telling it.

"Good," Richard nodded, holding her so close she could practically hear the beating of his heart. "You… Kahlan… you are only the  _second_  woman I have ever been with?"

"The second? Anna? Was… was she your—"

"No," Richard replied shaking his head. "She moved away with her parents before our relationship got to that phase." He looked away, remembering his past. He hugged her and caressed the back of her head, combing his fingers into her long wet hair. "Her name was Nadine," he spoke in a hard and bitter voice. "After we were together, I knew I wasn't  _her_ first. She knew far too much about what to do, but I didn't mind. I thought I loved her, and I thought that  _she_  loved me… but then I caught her in bed with another man and found out the truth."

He paused, heaving in a deep breath. "She had just seen me as a challenge, since I had told her I would only sleep with her if we were in love. So… she tricked me, spending considerable time and effort to convince me that she loved me. It had all just been a game to her… a sick perverted game!" He spat out the last part in disgust. It reminded Kahlan of the disgust she felt towards Vintell and his cohorts, who had requested the pre-entertainment that she and Richard had performed.

"Oh, I… I'm sorry," Kahlan knitted her eyebrows together, keeping her eyes looking away, unsure how she should feel hearing about one of Richard's ex-lovers, especially the woman who had been his first. She had no stories to tease him with, since  _he_  was quite literally her first… in a lot of ways.

Richard had been the first man she had developed any romantic feelings for. Sure, she had been attracted to other men in Aydindril and throughout the Midlands, but Richard was the very first that she immediately felt a connection and bond with. The first she had felt the stirrings of desire and need, of love. He had also been the first man she had ever kissed, and by the way he always wanted to kiss her back, she knew that her lack of experience did not stop that from progressing to longer and deeper kisses. And lastly, Richard had been the man to take her maidenhood, one of her most precious things. And to have him, and not some confessed mate, be the one, meant the world to Kahlan. Yet now, she found her lack of knowledge and experience to be worrisome.

But Richard was not teasing her with this tale, he was opening up to her, telling her about his past, sharing it with her. And that made her heart swell with love, knowing he was confiding in her about something that had obviously caused him a lot of hurt, pain, and heartache.

"No," Richard finally responded to her, coming out of his daze, tilting her head up with a finger under her chin until their eyes were locked. "Don't be sorry… I'm not. Because if I had not been driven away from town and into the woods by what Nadine had done, then I would never have met my soul mate."

Kahlan involuntarily gasped at his choice of words. "Your  _soul mate_?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes, feeling her heart clench in her chest with the magnitude of what he was saying. "You… you consider  _me_  your soul mate?"

Richard smiled slightly and nodded his head. "Yes," he said in a soft voice. "You complete me, Kahlan… without you, I am nothing, just a simple woods guide from Hartland."

"You're the Seeker," Kahlan protested.

"Again, because of you," he smiled and grabbed her hand in his, holding it to his chest, just above his heart. "If you had not come through the boundary, I would have probably lived out my life as an eccentric hermit up in the Ven forest, angry and bitter about a betrayal to my heart. On the outside, I looked fine, but in the inside, I was slowly dying with what had happened. But you… you gave me purpose again, a reason to live. You showed me what true love really was."

"Me? How?" Kahlan was flabbergasted. How could she—a confessor of all things, who knew nothing about true love—ever have shown someone like Richard, who had been close to two women before he had met her, anything about love? She was truly at a loss for his line of reasoning.

Richard smiled at her, seeing her perplexed expression. "Kahlan, you loved me so much that you fought your own urges and desires because you knew how much your powers could hurt me," he said, bringing her hand up to kiss it. "But we don't have to worry about that anymore, now do we?"

Kahlan narrowed her eyes and looked up at him, thinking. She had been wrong about him. Oh, how she had been wrong! Kahlan had always assumed that Richard had had a multitude of lovers before her. How could any woman resist him? He was just too handsome. But to learn that she was not the last in a long string of former lovers, but was in fact only the second one, somehow made her feel better about herself and her own deficiency in the arts of physical love.

He laughed softly. "Don't tell me you've been fretting that I found you wanting in your bedroom capabilities?" he asked her lightheartedly, smirking slightly.

She could not hide her blush and gave a small nod of confirmation.

"Oh, Kahlan," Richard shook his head and hugged her tight, running his hands up and down her back. "Let me tell you this, even though it was not under the ideal circumstances, you pleased me… you pleased me far more than Nadine, with her vast experience and knowledge, could ever have hoped for."

Kahlan looked up at him and hesitantly smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, really and truly, Kahlan," Richard grinned and kissed her forehead. "I firmly believe what you said earlier is true… that we fit perfectly together." He paused and his grin widened. "It is almost as if we were made for one another."

Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Then… then you would willingly become my mate?"

"Of course, but I hope you'd consider me far more than just your mate," he chuckled slightly. "I'd much prefer to be your husband, but if I can only be your mate, then I will."

"My husband? You… you would marry me?" she was shocked. Never, in her entire life, had she heard of a man marrying a confessor. Confessors did not have weddings, they had ceremonies in which they announced and presented their mates, but never marriages.

"Well yes, that is, if you'll have me," Richard said.

"Oh, of course I'll marry you, Richard," Kahlan said, beaming with joy as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Richard grinned and pulled her in for another kiss, running his hands down her arms to rest on her hips. Kahlan opened her eyes wide and pushed him back, remembering that once they left the negative field of the Angress Valley her love for him would destroy his soul.

"We… we can't," she shook her head. "Outside the shadow of the mountains, I'd only end up confessing you." She flirted her eyes around, recalling her previous thoughts. "I… I could by a Rada'Han! And when we make love, I'll wear it."

"No," Richard was shaking his head, bringing his hands up to cup her face. He held her still and stared into her eyes. "I want you, Kahlan. All of you… and that includes your powers."

"But… but I would confess you!" Kahlan objected.

"I'm not too sure about that," Richard asserted. "I know Zedd keeps telling us that it can never be, but I can sense he's holding something back, as if he knows he's lying to us."

"Richard, if Zedd has been lying to us, I would know," Kahlan attested, shaking her head.

"Would you be able to detect a lie of omission?" Richard asked. "I mean, it is true that you'd release your powers during—"

"That's what I was told yes," Kahlan nodded.

"But you've never experienced it," Richard said. "You've just been told that."

"I… I don't know if I follow," she knitted her eyebrows together. Sometimes Richard was on a whole other wavelength than her. His mind seemed to work differently, and he often could see the truth in things when others could not. It was just another thing that made him a true Seeker of Truth.

Richard opened his mouth, about to explain himself, when they heard the tumblers of the door click and the hinges creak. He looked over his shoulder. Kahlan saw Necor appear and give a nod of his head while depositing a bundle of clothing on the floor. Kahlan sighed and rested her head on Richard's shoulder. She let out a quiet curse, their hour was up and they'd spent most of it talking instead of doing other things.

"What's wrong?" Richard asked, hearing her curse. She looked up at him and bit her lip, realizing she had never really used such language around him.

"Oh, it… it's just that our hour is up and we spent all the time talking," Kahlan groaned, frowning in frustrating.

"Not all of it," he gave a wink and his hand slinked down her back and gripped her bottom, reminding her of what he had done with his hand between her legs. Kahlan involuntarily jumped, resulting in Richard giving her another playful squeeze. "And besides, didn't Betto say I had the entire night with you?"

Kahlan felt a tingle run down her spine as she remembered. "Yes," she nodded. "Necor did say that he was to escort us to my quarters."

" _Necor_?" Richard furrowed his brow, almost looking jealous of her saying another man's name.

She smiled coyly and nodded, gripping his hand and leading him towards the marble steps. "Come, let's get dressed so that we can soon get undressed again."


	9. Chapter 9

The clothes Necor had left for them were just simple tunics, but Kahlan liked them more than she had the scantily nightgowns that she and the other women had been forced to scamper around in for the past couple of days. Richard had helped her dressed, wrapping his arms around her waist when he had finished and pulled her in for a sweet kiss. Kahlan smiled against his lips, then backed away, biting her lower lip, still tasting him. She knocked gently on the door and it opened, revealing Necor. Richard eyed up the fair-haired guard, as if judging the man's honor.

"This way," Necor said with a wave of his hand, returning Richard's stare. Kahlan shuffled out, letting go of Richard's hand, knowing that they had to look like strangers if anyone should see them. She noticed Richard took a deep breath through his nose before stepping out and following her.

Necor directed them through the sorting room and towards the door that led to the spiral stairs. Once in the dim hall, Kahlan relaxed a bit and eased closer to Richard as Necor led the way down the steps.

"So, Kaya, how long have you two known each other?" Necor broke the silence.

Richard made a face and looked over at her, confused. Kahlan raised her eyebrows. She had forgotten to tell Richard that she had told Necor about them. "Little over half a year," Kahlan responded.

Necor nodded, continuing down the stone steps. "And not once, during all that time, you two never…" his voice trailed off as they walked past one of the openings, where a guard was standing, waiting for them to past. The man leered at Kahlan, and then continued up the stairs after they had past. Kahlan shivered, and Richard slowly placed a hand on her shoulder, walking behind her, as it was impossible to walk side-by-side down these spiral steps. She exhaled softly, thankful for his touch.

"No, never," Kahlan said. "We… we were waiting for the right time," she added, looking over her shoulder at Richard.

"Were you two going to get married?" Necor asked, cocking his head slightly as he took a turn.

Kahlan opened her mouth, intending to tell the truth, that they could not marry, but before she could say anything, Richard spoke up. "Yes," he said in a firm and confident voice.

Necor stopped and turned around. "I… I'm sorry that your first time was forced on you two," he said. "I deeply wish that things could be different."

Richard placed a hand on Kahlan's shoulder and squeezed past her to stand in front of Necor. "They can," he said. "I recognize you… you're the head guard."

"Yes, the name's Necor."

"I'm Richard," the Seeker spoke up, extending his hand, shocking Kahlan.

While they had been changing into the tunics Necor had provided, she had talked to him about the importance of their anonymity, and that the names—Rook and Kaya—that they had been using were good covers for who they really were.

The fair-haired guard accepted Richard's hand, and they shook. "What did you mean by  _they can_?" Necor inquired.

Richard glanced back at Kahlan before returning his attention to Necor. "Look, she trusts you, so… so I'll trust you," he said. "I'm the Seeker of Truth, and she—"

Kahlan placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, stopping him before he could say what she thought he was going to say. Necor looked between them, narrowing his cerulean eyes.

" _The Seeker of Truth_?" he questioned in an awed voice. "You mean… the myths and legends, they… they are true?"

Kahlan nodded. "Yes, Richard is on a quest to free the Midlands from the tyrannical rule of Darken Rahl."

Necor pursed his lips together, staring at Kahlan. "Kaya…," he began softly. "You… are… are you a confessor?"

Her mouth dropped and she simply gaped at Necor, unsure how to respond. She inched closer to Richard, suddenly afraid that the friendly guard's attitude would change once he learned what she really was. "Why… why do you ask?" Kahlan stammered.

The guard glanced between the two of them, and sighed. "It's just that the legends I've heard about the Seeker of Truth always speak that he is always accompanied by a confessor, and that these confessors are women of great magic who can destroy men's souls with just a touch."

Richard's eyes locked with hers as she looked up at her Seeker. They shared a brief conversation with just their eyes before she turned back to Necor, ready to answer the man's question.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "I am a confessor." Necor backed up a bit, looking worried. "You... you don't have to worry. I won't harm you. Even if I did, I could not. Not in this place."

Necor knitted his eyebrows together. "Why not?"

Kahlan took a deep breath, still a bit unsure about divulging this information, but Necor had proven to be an honorable and good friend in this terrible place, so she decided he deserved the truth, especially since he was the one person who could help them escape.

"There is a reason the Midlands Council has no authority here in the Angress Valley," Kahlan said. "There is a natural negative field the permeates the entire region that nulls all forms of magic, from wizards to confessors."

"Kah—Kaya has been completely defenseless in this place without her powers," Richard spoke up. "Another reason I have to thank you. Without you looking after her, spirits knows what might have become of her."

Necor gave a nod. "I would do it for any of the women, especially the new ones, who were not born into this trade," he said with a nod.

"Look, Necor," Richard continued. "Back in the Midlands, confessors are revered for being the upholders of peace and order."

"And the Seeker is the weapon of truth and justice," Kahlan added, wanting to support Richard. Necor turned to her. "Necor, I know this might be a lot to ask… but… but when the morning comes, will you help us escape."

He lowered his brow and chewed on his lip in thought. "Why not now, when the entire household is busy?"

Kahlan sucked in a quick breath, not sure she wanted to tell Necor the real reason why she wanted to stay the evening. She looked up at Richard, asking him to help her with a logical explanation that had nothing to do with them wanting to have sex while they were protected by the negative field from her powers.

"With the debauchery that is going on tonight," Richard spoke up, not hesitating once he noticed Kahlan's need for him to explain. "Every will most likely be in a stupor in the morning. They will be dull and slow moving. Giving us the perfect opportunity to slip out."

Necor nodded, seeming to agree with their reasoning.

"So…," Kahlan spoke up tentatively. "Will… will you help us?"

The fair-haired guard looked at her with his cerulean eyes. They looked sad and unsure. "What… what about Paullina and the others?"

Richard glanced back at Kahlan, confused. She understood what Necor was talking about. He was asking them if they would help free the rest of the slaves. Kahlan did not know if that was even possible. To be honest, she had never really thought about it that much, besides the fact that she was disgusted with people owning other people. Sure, there was indenture servitude in the Midlands, but not slavery. At least, not in any of the places she had visited as a confessor. Then again, she figured, some people might consider what the confessors do as akin to slavery, since they take people against their will and force them to serve. Kahlan swallowed, feeling like she was a hypocrite for feeling disgusted with slavery when she herself had enslaved men with just a touch and release of her powers.

She was about to answer Necor, and apologize that it was not possible, when Richard spoke. "When I was brought here I had a sword with me."

"Yes, I remember it," Necor nodded. "The Master took a liking to it and had me place it in his private collection."

"Can you get it for me?" Richard asked.

Necor furrowed his brow. "I… I suppose."

Richard smiled. "Then in the morning, come to us with the sword, and…," he glanced at Kahlan. "Two daggers for Kaya."

"And you will help me free the others?" Necor inquired.

The grin on the Seeker's face grew wider. "Yes," he replied in a voice filled with firm conviction. "In the morning, there is going to be a revolt."

XXX

Kahlan was still in shock at Richard's bold declaration. She was a little confused over what exactly he was planning. Yet he always seemed to be thinking a mile a minute compared to everyone else, so she trusted that whatever he was scheming up in his head would be to the benefit of all those being oppressed. Necor escorted them the rest of the way in silence, and unlocked the door to the floor Kahlan had been staying. He pushed it open and told them they could go the rest of the way, that all the doors to the quarters were unlocked. Kahlan thanked him again, and he promised to return in the morning with Richard's sword. The two shook hands and then Richard followed her into the hall.

It was quiet, and Kahlan's heart went out to the poor women who were probably being raped this very moment by Betto's clients as part of Aulus Vintell's party. She gripped Richard's hand, needing to feel his presence, and led him down the dimly lit hallway to the door at the end of the hall that led to her room. She tried to shake her mind of the terrible fate that was befalling all the others who had shared this floor with her, because she wanted to enjoy what little time she had with Richard before tomorrow came and his revolt started.

They reached the door and Kahlan noticed it was ajar. She knitted her eyebrows together and furrowed her brow, but thought nothing of it, because the doors had ceased to be locked after their first day. Looking over her shoulder at Richard, she gave him that special smile she had started giving him and only him, then gripped the latch and pushed the door open, pulling him behind her, a lazy grin plastered on his face.

"Ah!" a high pitch voice yelped and Kahlan blinked shocked to see someone sitting on her bed.

She squinted in the light and recognized the blonde hair and green eyes of Cameron. So, it appeared that she had been saved from being selected by a client, thanks in part to Kahlan requesting her as an attendant. The girl's eyes were big and she gazed at Richard with terror. She was still dressed in the scantily nightgown that they had all be dressed in earlier in the evening, and attempted to cover herself. Richard stiffened and turned his back, quickly ducking out the room. Kahlan huffed, frustrated about an interruption in what she had planned for the evening, but bit her tongue, knowing it wasn't the girl's fault.

"Oh, Kaya," Cameron whimpered, her eyes flirting back to Kahlan. "They're making you please a client as well?"

"No," Kahlan said, fiddling with her hands.

"You mean… that's… that's Rook!" Cameron's eyes went wide.

Kahlan nodded. "Betto's given me to him for the evening."

Cameron immediately jumped up and wrapped her arms around Kahlan. "Oh spirits, Kaya, I'm so sorry," she mumbled. "If… if you want, I can take him… you've already suffered enough. And… and maybe if Rook spoils me, the Master will see me as damage goods and make me a maidservant instead."

Kahlan highly doubted Betto would let a beautiful girl like Cameron become anything less than one of his whores, though she had no reason to tell her that, so she kept quiet. "No, that's alright," she replied with a wiry smile. "I think I can handle Rook."

"What?" choked out Cameron, backing up to look at Kahlan. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Kahlan's expression. "What… what's happened to you? You're different."

"Besides the fact that I'm no longer a virgin, nothing else has changed," Kahlan asserted.

"No… you are different," Cameron squeaked out, backing away even more. "You… you've been broken. They've bent you to their will!"

"Cameron, no, I have not," Kahlan grabbed the woman's arms and held her tight. "Look into my eyes, you'll see the same woman you saw in that preparation room."

Cameron obliged her and gazed into her brilliant blue eyes. The woman's eyebrows twitched, knitting together and apart. Then her mouth slowly dropped. "Kaya? I… I don't understand," she said, relaxing her muscles.

"Do you remember when you said that perhaps the Creator would look after me and protect me during the performance?" Kahlan questioned.

Cameron gave a weak nod, hugging herself.

"Well, She did," Kahlan said, smiling. "Instead of a bloodthirsty arena brute, I… I… got my Richard."

"Richard?" Cameron choked out. "The… the man you were with when you were captured?"

Kahlan nodded, remembering that she had told Cameron about Richard when they had been bunking together on their second night in the House of Betto. "Yes," Kahlan said smiling. She turned around and glided over to the door, and beckoned Richard back inside. He ducked his head in, his brow furrowed, looking worried. She gestured with her hand and he stepped into the room. Kahlan immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him over. Richard allowed her to direct him. "Cameron, this is Richard… Richard, this is Cameron."

"Hello," Richard spoke softly, looking between Kahlan and Cameron.

The girl rubbed her arms and glanced up at him. "From… from what Kaya told me, you're one of the most kind hearted and honest men she has ever met," Cameron squeak out. "And… and if Kaya trusts you, and… well, obviously loves you," she added noticing how Kahlan had intertwined her arm with Richard's and had begun to lean against him. "Well… well then I'll trust you." She stopped, her eyes going wide. "Spirits, you two probably want some alone time. Encountering one another in front of those terrible people probably wasn't the best way to reunite."

Richard gave a nod. "It wasn't the best circumstance, yes," he looked down at Kahlan and wrapped his arm around her waist giving her loving squeeze. "But it finally pushed our relationship into the direction we both wanted it to be."

The sound of his voice and the feel of his arm around her waist made Kahlan beam with delight at how their relationship had transcended the smoldering stares and fleeting glances, and was now a touching, kissing… and  _squeezing_  kind of relationship. Oh, how she could not wait until they could make it official, that they were a couple! And that Richard was willingly becoming her mate. To the spirits with what Zedd said, they were going to do it, even if Kahlan had to buy a Rada'Han for their more intimate moments.

"Oh," Cameron blinked. "Yes… that's right. You two hadn't…," she looked away and blushed, leaving the rest unsaid. "I… you… um… you two probably want the room." She dashed by them, not giving either a chance to respond.

Richard shifted and arched his neck over his shoulder. "Cameron!" he called after her, causing her to stop at the doorway. The blonde haired girl spun on her feet, looking up at him with big green eyes. "Tomorrow, stay in your room… and… and don't open the door unless it is me or Kah—Kaya."

Cameron bit her lower lip and knitted her eyebrows together, but managed a quick nod, before darting through the doorway and disappearing. "She was lucky today," Kahlan said, letting out a breath as she stepped across the stone floor to close the door. "I was chosen to be with you, and Necor let me bring Cameron along to help me prepare… so when Vintell and the other guests made their selections, Cameron was not there to be chosen."

Sighing, Richard turned around and examined the room. He raised an eyebrow. "This is pretty opulent stuff," he said, running his fingers over the rosewood vanity and dresser. Turning, he looked back at her, his fingers playing across the small trinkets on the vanity. "You sure you want to leave?" he smirked.

Kahlan gave him a mock glare. "Oh, you think this is luxurious, just wait until you see the Confessor's Palace," she locked her eyes with him and she began to untie the string around her waist. "And," she added, in a low seductive voice, "my bedchambers."

Richard's eyebrows rose as he watched her saunter towards him. As she saw his reaction, his eyes darkening with desire and need, Kahlan could not help but blush. In a lot of ways, this sort of behavior was very new to her. However, she liked how it made her feel. She wanted to feel that connection with Richard, but this time, in private, without the crowd, and without the masks. And she wanted to be able to kiss him as her took her and made her his all over again. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she giggled softly, not knowing what she was so nervous. Richard had seen her naked, bathed with her, and spirits, done much more.

Slowly, gripping the edge of the tunic, she squirmed out of it and dropped it to the floor, loving the reaction she got from Richard as she did so.


	10. Chapter 10

Stepping over the pile of clothes at her feet, Kahlan smiled up at Richard, loving how his eyes went wide and could not help but drift down to gaze upon her in all her glory. His warm brown eyes seemed to swirl with desire and need, filling with all the love she had ever seen reflected back in his gaze. She took a quick breath, watching as he reached down and undid the belt around his waist, tossing it away, as he pulled the tunic up and over his shoulders. Nothing but Richard was underneath, and spirits, did she love the sight of him bare before her.

True, this was not the first time she had seen him so exposed. But now, they were in private, with a soft bed awaiting them, and he was not covered in filth and mud, giving her the opportunity to see all of him without anything to mar the toned muscles and chiseled chest of the demigod that was her Richard. The Seeker smiled at her reaction, and stepped forward, placing a hand on her bare arm, causing a tingle to run down her spine as he pulled her to him. His lips met hers and Kahlan moaned, aching to be with him as it was meant to be, and not for the amusement and entertainment of others.

Kahlan immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him just that more closer as she deepened the kiss, feeling their body's mesh together. Richard groaned as she bit at his lower lip, pulling it into her mouth to suck on it as his hands combed through her long hair, skimming down its length until he was applying just the right amount of pressure to her lower back, inching her even more closer to his body. She could feel him pressing against her, already becoming firm and hard. His hands danced even further down her back until he was gripping her bottom, squeezing at the soft flesh he found there, causing her to giggle softly as he continued to tickle her lips with kisses. Her breath caught and she felt a wave of arousal seep out of her core and add fuel to the raging inferno that was the flame of their love.

Swooping her up into his arms, Richard carried her over to the lavish bed. For the first time, Kahlan found herself thankful for being sold to Betto and not some seedy pimp, since the former provided his property with such rich accommodations. The mattress was exquisitely soft, though nothing could compare with the Mother Confessor's bed in Aydindril. She was glad that their second time got to be in a bed and was a little grateful that they had not done any more than they had in the pool. Though, she was looking forward to feeling the same bliss and rapture that Richard had given her with nothing but his hand between her legs.

Setting her down, Richard climbed up and hovered over her, his hands running up and down her body, coaxing out soft whimpering moans of delight from her lips. He caressed her thighs and kissed her neck, sucking so hard on the supple flesh that Kahlan felt for sure he was going to leave his mark. She felt a little overwhelmed with all the feelings and sensations he was stirring within her. The last thing she wanted was for Richard to be doing all the work. She wanted to be a participant, not just a sideline observer to the process.

Closing her eyes and gasping in pleasure as one of his hands shot up to her breast, cupping it and teasing her nipple, Kahlan managed to regain some control of her arms. She raked her fingers through his unruly hair, noting for the first time how much it had grown out since their capture, perhaps more time had pass than she had thought. Her touch only seemed to excite him more, because his hand on her thigh had drifted further up her leg until he was gripping her hip, squeezing softly as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulder. She parted her legs, begging him with kisses of her own, wanting to feel him inside her again.

Richard eased back off her neck and gazed down at her, his hand stilling on her breast, as he slipped his other hand between them, seeking out that place between her legs that he knew would make her quake and moan. Kahlan blinked and stared up into his eyes, seeing him smile down at her as she knitted her eyebrows together when a low moan of pleasure forced its way out of her throat. His fingers were teasing her special place and rubbing her folds, tantalizing and promising things that Kahlan felt for sure that only Richard could deliver.

Kahlan moved one of her hands from his back and ran it down his chest, caressing every curve and contour of his muscles. She dipped her hand down his abdomen, seeking to do to him what he was doing to her. Sensing what she wanted to do, Richard shifted on his knees, angling himself into a position that afforded her with room to work with. She reached down and grabbed his already firm member in her hand.

"Spirits, Richard…," she gasped, surprised. "You… you're so hard."

"It's not that difficult when I have the most beautiful woman beneath me, practically begging me to make love to her," Richard groaned as she began to stroke his length, all the while he continued to caress her special place.

He dipped his head down and captured her lips, arching his back as he bucked his hips into her hand. Kahlan let out a soft whimper, feeling the warmth of his arousal brush across her stomach. Richard shifted, bringing his hand up from her breast to hold her face as they continued to kiss while each continued to pleasure the other with their hands. He moaned into her mouth and leaned back, bringing his hand up from her femininity to remove hers from his member.

She placed her hand on his side, and watched as he wetted his fingers with his tongue, before dipping it back down between them, rubbing her folds, stirring up the wetness that had already begun to coalesced between her legs. Kahlan squirmed her hips, unable to wait any longing to be connected with her Seeker in the most intimate of ways.

"Oh, Richard," she murmured softly, meeting his eyes. "I want you… I want you so much."

"I know," Richard answered, bending over her to kiss her neck as he continued to stimulate her most private of places. "I know."

Kahlan shivered, confused. If he knew, then why was he not entering her and making her his? Why was he not making love to her? Sure, she greatly enjoyed what he was doing with his fingers, it was causing her entire body to tremble and spin with unheard amounts of pleasure, but she wanted him inside her, not outside. She shivered, feeling his hardness brush up against her skin, as he shifted over her, pulling hand back. He gripped her trembling legs, steadying them, as he gently guided them apart.

Her heart seemed to do a summersault in her chest as she gazed up at him, panting in deep breaths, awaiting the moment of connection. He gazed down at her, running a hand along her jawbone. "Kiss me," she whimpered softly, feeling her spine tingle with delight. "Kiss me when you enter me."

Richard smiled. His knees moved and she could feel him positioning himself for entry. She could not help but wiggle with delight when he lowered himself between her spread legs. She ran her hands down his back and latched on to his backside, practically pushing him down. He was stronger, but her move had surprised him. The result was his hips bucking slightly up into her, causing part of his length to push past her folds. It was quick and fast, and Kahlan had to squint and gasp in a sudden burst of pain that she had not expected.

Hovering over her, Richard groaned and backed up his hips, withdrawing himself from her wetness. "Kahlan…," he admonished, shaking his head. She glared up at him, and narrowed her eyes, ignoring the fact that it had hurt.

"What are you doing?" she questioned. "I did not give you permission to remove yourself from my person, Seeker," she spoke up with the authoritarian voice of the Mother Confessor. "You will comply with my wishes. Now… do as I say, and make love to me… NOW!"

Richard chuckled and grabbed her head in his hand, holding it between her neck and jaw. "Oh, Kahlan," he laughed. "I'm not some confessed mate you can order around…"

Kahlan's mouth dropped, hurt more by his words of jest than she had expected. She bit her lower lip and averted her eyes, feeling the early signs of tears stinging the sides of her face. "Oh, Richard… I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean it like that," she whimpered. "Please… for—"

"Shh," he silenced her with a finger on her lips. "I was just teasing, Kahlan. Spirits, you know I'll do whatever you say. I was just caught off guard by your sudden need."

Heaving her chest, she glanced back at him and nodded. "I'm still sorry," she asserted, her lips still trembling. "I never meant to imply you are like a confessed mate, because you're not. I never want to have a mate… I want to have you… my best friend and lover."

Richard shifted over her pressing his pelvis against hers, rubbing his length against her folds. Kahlan gasped and looked up into his eyes as he smiled down at him. "Best friend and lover, eh?" he echoed her words. "What about husband?"

"Richard…," Kahlan shook her head, growing distracted by his hard member teasing her folds and rubbing against her special place, which made her quake and tremble beneath him. "You… you know I cannot marry you. Not that I don't want to, I do… but… outside this valley, when we are like this, when we connect, I'd only end up confessing you, destroying you and only having the shell of the man that you are now. And that, Richard, is something I cannot do."

"But I love you with all my heart," Richard protested, easing off her just a bit, almost as if he was punishing her by taking away that which she wanted most. Spirits, she was only telling him the truth, why could he not just take this opportunity for what it was? "What else do I need to do to convince you?"

Kahlan huffed, feeling slightly irritated at him. "You can start by stopping this tease and either make love to me or not!" she snapped back. "And if you really want us to contemplate a relationship out of this valley, then you will have to allow me to find a Rada'Han which we can use for these moments once we escape." She pouted and waited for his response, half afraid he would say that if he could not have all of her, then he would not want to tempt himself by having her now.

A long deep sigh rattled through his body, causing him to shake above her. Kahlan bit her lower lip, worried that she had just ruined the moment and that Richard was no longer in the mood. But then, before she could react, he grabbed her head and rammed his mouth against hers; kissing her with such a passion that she forgot where and who she was. Then the moment came, as their tongues met, Kahlan felt him gentle push up to her. Her mouth dropped and she let out a loud trembling moan as she felt his entire length move up into her wet heat.

"Oh… Richard…," she whimpered, as his hands moved down her body, touching and teasing her in all the right places. "You… you do want me." Slowly, he began to move over her, directing the pace. Kahlan could only gasp at each thrust, feeling him push deeper and deeper into her. Her arms fell uselessly to the mattress as his motions increased. His lips continued their movements along her face and jaw, slipping down to her neck to suck on her pulse point.

One of his hands drifted down her arm to grab her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. Kahlan arched her neck to look down, seeing as he raised their locked hands into the air. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he continued to make love to her, hitting each pressure and pleasure point in her body. After a time, she regained some of her wits, and she moved along with him, raising her hips to meet his on each of his downward thrusts. She commanded her inner muscles to squeeze at him, relishing the guttural groan she coaxed from his throat as she did so.

Kahlan trembled and shivered when she felt his free hand slip between then to stimulate her special place. Her eyes flirted around until they found his and she gazed at him, confused. Then her face contorted in exquisite ecstasy as she felt her body begin to respond to his ministrations. Richard smiled as he removed his hand and held her squirming hips to hold them steady as he continued to thrust into her. He danced his lips up her neck and captured her lips again, giving her a long and tender kiss as he pushed himself ever so much deeper into her as he slowed the pace to almost a crawl. Kahlan closed her walls around him, wanting him to stay. He wiggled his hips and laughed into her mouth.

"Kahlan…," he purred, brushing his free hand against the side of her face.

She relented and unclenched her muscles, allowing him to continue the movements above her. The other position they had done for the amusement of Betto's clients had been exciting, but Kahlan liked this one the best. When Richard was over her, she felt safe and secure. His heated body gave her shelter and warmth, and it allowed them to kiss as they connected. That, above all, made Kahlan want to squeal with delight as he plunged himself into her wet warm depths.

"Spirits, Kahlan… you're so tight," he murmured into her mouth as he continued kissing her. She giggled and wrapped her legs around him, helping him with his thrusts. Their interlocked hands had ended up pressed against the mattress, lying uselessly off to the side as they had continued.

"Then… then I… I'm pleasing to you!" Kahlan panted through her breaths, her cheeks flushed with all the heated passion and pleasure that was coursing through her veins.

Richard stopped for moment, his length halfway through a downward thrust. "You'll always please me, Kahlan," he whispered into her lips. "Always. And… and forever."

He let go over her hand and placed both his hands on the side of her face. She gazed up unblinking into his warm brown eyes as he gently pushed himself as far as possible into her depths, pinning her hard against the soft mattress. Kahlan squirmed with rapture, feeling his entire length become enshrouded by her quivering flesh. She closed her eyes and simply basked in the feel of being with him, vaguely aware that his hands had slipped down from her face and were caressing her shoulders and arms, coaxing her arms up to loop around his neck.

When she blinked again, the world seemed to be rocking, and her insides were screaming with joy. She looked around, and noticed that Richard was sprawled on top of her, her breasts pressed hard against his chest, as he held her to him. His hips were moving at a furious pace and Kahlan felt on fire. She was seriously wet and slippery. And Richard seemed to be having no trouble moving in and out at her with lightning speed. The friction developed by this was overwhelming, leaving her lightheaded, at best. She felt in a daze, as the wave of pleasure just seemed to soar throughout her body, only intensifying when Richard began sucking on her pulse point, where her neck met her shoulder. She noticed that her arms had been looped around his neck and she hugged tight, feeling like she needed to scream.

"It's all right, Kahlan," Richard grunted into her ear in panting breaths, as if he could read her thoughts. "If you have to scream… then scream… scream for me, my Kahlan."

Kahlan obliged, giving into her dark need to scream. The sound was unlike anything she had ever produced. She had screamed before, but this scream was not one of terror or grief, but of pure unadulterated pleasure. She found herself screaming his name at the top of his lungs, begging him to push harder and faster, which he readily complied with. She tightened her arms around his neck, feeling her stomach muscle tense up as her legs went stiff. An explosion of heated passion erupted inside her very core, the likes of which Kahlan had never felt. Kahlan blacked out for a second, the release was that powerful and overwhelming.

When she blinked back, Richard was groaning heavily. His muscles were tensing up and he was pressing hard against her, pulling her mouth to his, pushing his tongue pass her lips just as she felt a heated blast shoot up into her insides. Kahlan instinctively clenched her inner muscles, eliciting a low throaty moan from her Seeker, as he seeded his Confessor. Past all the exquisite rapture and love she was feeling for the man above her, Kahlan was silently praying to the Creator that during these two times that they had been together, that he had released enough of his seed into her that it would quicken within and create a child. If there was anything Kahlan wanted more than to be with Richard, it was to have his child.

"Oh, spirits… KAHLAN!" Richard nearly shouted her name into her ear, causing her to squeal and squirm, attempting to elicit even more from him. Richard hummed against her neck and kissed her lightly, running his lips past her jawbone as he rested his weight against her, pinning her even more to the mattress.

"Mmm," she mumbled, letting out a breath as she came down from the high of what she now knew was an orgasm. It had been far more intense than the one he had given her in the pool. She thought that it might have something to do with him being inside her, giving her what she wanted most. Him.

Kahlan ran her fingers along his back, dancing circles around his muscles, as he eased into her, nuzzling her neck. "I love you, Richard… I never want to be parted from you… ever."

He shifted above her and smiled. "Neither do I, Kahlan" he gazed down at her, bringing up a hand to brush away the damp hair that matted around her forehead. "I love you with my entire being. And… and you must trust me when I say there is nothing in this world that will ever change that. But… if you want to find a Rada'Han when we escape, then I will support your decision, whatever it is. I will always be with you… no matter what. I promise."

Kahlan was left speechless, overwhelmed by the oath he had just made. She wanted to do the same, but she could not find the words. Fortunately, it appeared he did not need her words to know how she felt, because he leaned back down over her and captured her lips, giving her a slow and loving kiss that spoke more than words ever could. She groaned slightly when he slipped out of her, wishing he would just stay inside her for the entire evening. When he laid down on the bed, she immediately curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest as he tenderly stroked one hand up and down her spine.

"How long until morning?" she asked, knowing that they would need to get some sleep to be rested for Richard's improvised revolt.

Richard narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. "Long enough," he replied cryptically.

Confused, Kahlan propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at his smiling face. "Long enough for what?" she questioned, utterly baffled for the reason behind his grinning.

He looked up at her, his eyes glinting with some hidden plan. His smirk grew as she continued to stare down at him in disbelief at his seemingly lack of concern about the outcome of the morning's struggle. He gave her a mischievous wink, and then she found herself flying through the air. Richard hover over her, having spun her around onto her back, crushing her lips with a long and slow kiss.

"Time enough for a couple more rounds of lovemaking, my beautiful confessor," Richard answered as his hands ran down to caress her legs.

Kahlan let out a soft giggle of delight, already feeling him grow hard and firm against her thigh. She watched with sparkling eyes as he kissed his way down her body, pausing at all her critical pleasure points. His head dipped down past her navel, and Kahlan furrowed her brow, arching her neck to look down past her breasts, unsure what he was doing. "Richard… what… what are you doing?" her confusion was evident in her voice.

He glanced up at her, his chin resting on her soft belly as his hands caressed her thighs, slowly pulling her legs apart. "Something I've never done before, but have wanted to do ever since I first saw you running through the woods all sweaty and slick," Richard answered. "Spirits, you looked so beautiful, like an angelic being come down from the heavens above." He pushed and nuzzled his nose into the small forest above her special place. She could feel him taking in her scent, and blowing against her small hairs down there. "Not even Nadine could get me to do this. You are the first and  _only_  woman I have ever truly wanted to try…" he let his words trail of as he gave her a teasing wink.

"What are you talking—?" her question was drowned out, replaced by a sudden gasp as Richard's mouth latched onto the warm spot between her legs, his tongue sliding out to tease her folds.

Smacking his lips, he looked up at her with hot eyes. "Mmm," he hummed against her inner thighs. "You taste amazing, Kahlan."

Kahlan shivered and bucked her hips up as he descended down on her again. She rolled her head back and caught her breath, losing herself in the pleasure that her Seeker gave her. Gasping and moaning, a smile formed across Kahlan's lips, concluding that tonight was going to be a journey of discovery and wonder. As Richard continued to lick and suck on her special place, Kahlan vowed that her body would not be the only one to be explored that evening.


	11. Chapter 11

Kahlan laid there, nestled against the man she loved, listening to the soft and evened sounds of his breathe. After the four times they had both reached that awesome physical plateau of mutual release, they had curled up on the bed and gone to sleep. With only five hours till dawn, Richard was going to need his rest, so he could lead the rebellion to free the slaves. Kahlan tried to get some sleep as well, but found it difficult. Her body still trembled from all the aftershocks of pleasure caused by what Richard had done to her. She felt all tingly and alive, like she never had before. She could not sleep, not now, not after they had made love with such a passion as they had, as it was supposed to be… as it was meant to be.

Shifting, propping up on her elbow, she gazed down at her Seeker, marveling at how calm and serene his face appeared. She had watched him sleep before, in camp, when she was on watch. Kahlan had relished those quiet moments in the dead of night, when it was just her, the moon, and stars, gazing down upon the Seeker as he slept. He always looked so peaceful and content, yet now, after he had been with her, literally been with her in the complete sense of the word, he looked more at peace than ever before. It was like the dreams he had had on those nights at camp had come true, and he could sleep with confidence, knowing that they had not been dreams, but were now, in fact, reality.

The knock came just as she was starting to doze off. Opening her eyes, she slipped out of Richard's arms and groped for a robe. She frowned not finding one, suddenly remembering where she was. It was not the Confessor's Palace. And the bed was not her big white bed. Letting out a frustrated breath, Kahlan bent down and retrieved her discarded tunic. While she slipped it over her shoulders and tied the string around her waist, Kahlan reached across the bed and gently rocked Richard awake. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. Sitting up, he grabbed her face in his palm and tenderly kissed, before following her lead and dressing.

Kahlan bit her lower lip and basked in the love that radiated out from his eyes like the rays of the sun. When they were dressed, Richard went to the door and, grabbing the latch, opened it. Necor was on the other side. He gave a nod to Kahlan, and then looked both ways before handing over an object covered in linens.

"You were right," he spoke softly, barely in a whisper, Kahlan had to step over to stand beside Richard's shoulder just to hear him. "Everyone is still asleep and those who are not, are still inebriated."

Richard gave a nod, not making point of saying he told him so. He took the linen wrapped object and unfolded the cloth from it, revealing the shiny brilliance of the Sword of Truth. Richard smiled, obviously pleased to have it returned. He reached the grip against his forehead and closed his eyes, his lips moving ever so slightly that Kahlan knew he was saying a soft prayer of thanks to the good spirits. Necor then reached down to his belt and produced a D'Haran dagger, which was almost identical to the ones Kahlan had lost when she had been captured.

"Only one?" Kahlan raised an eyebrow.

"It was all I could grab on quick notice," Necor replied, his eyes telling her he was sorry. "It took more time to find the sword than I thought it world, and the chief steward of the collections vault kept giving me suspicious looks."

Kahlan raised her eyebrows, concerned, but Necor gave a wave of his hand dismissing it, and informed her that the steward had been dealt with. She knew that meant he had been killed. It was not something she liked, since the steward was most likely an innocent employee, guiltless of his employer's crimes, yet it was obviously necessary to silence him before he could alert Betto.

Sighing, Kahlan gave a soft smile and accepted the dagger, holding it up to examine the sharp blade. She gripped the handle tightly, realizing how much she relished the feel of it in her hand. Armed with this dagger, Kahlan was no longer defenseless in this negative field. Her skill with a dagger was just as deadly as her confessor's touch. There was many a D'Haran soldier who could attest to that.

Looking away from her new dagger, Kahlan watched as the Seeker placed the scabbard around his waist, buckling the strap tight as his hand went to rest on the sword's pommel in an oh so familiar way that left her speechless with how right Richard was for the Sword of Truth. And how right it was for him. He was definitely the one true Seeker. No one could deny that.

"I'm ready to help, Seeker," Necor said in a firm voice, holding up the key ring that held the method of unlocking every door and gate in the entire house. "Just tell me what to do, and I will follow."

Richard nodded and turned back to Kahlan. "Kahlan, I know you won't like hearing this, but I'm going to need you to stay here… just for a little while," he said placing a hand on the side of her face, his fingers digging into her hair.

She bit back a retort and inclined her head, knowing he would be able to focus more on the task of defeating the guards and freeing the slaves without having to worry about her.

"Thank you," he murmured into her ear, rubbing his hand down the back of her head, and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Before he could turn, Kahlan grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back for a more intimate kiss, pressing her lips longingly against his, instructing him to return to her safe and sound. Backing away, Richard rested his forehead against hers, their noses touching, as they shared a breath.

"Come back to me," she whispered softly, so only he could hear.

"Always," was his reply, kissing her forehead as he squeezed her hand. And then the Seeker turned and disappeared with Necor.

XXX

She sat there and waited, something which Kahlan never liked doing. For as long as she could remember, she always had control, always power over the outcome of events. Yet now here she found herself powerless to do anything to influence what was happening. And since the living quarters for Betto's "girls" were like a dungeon, buried deep under ground, Kahlan had no way of knowing what was going on up above. Part of her was irritated that Richard had asked her to stay behind, though she understood his reasons, it did not mean she had to like them.

The room was cold and Kahlan felt a chill. She hugged herself and stood up from the bed and went over to the rich rosewood dresser that was pushed up against the wall. She opened the drawers and only found skimpy nightgowns or see through silk robes. Letting out a sigh of frustration at her choices, she shoved the drawer closed and huffed back down on the bed, grounding her teeth. The cold continued to bother her. She could feel its icy tendrils reaching for her, and shivered. Kahlan did not remember the room being cold last night. In fact, it had been far from it. As Richard moved over and in her, the room had seemed hot, the air moist and heavy with their passion. Sitting there, remembering everything—absolutely _everything_ —they had done, Kahlan slowly racked her teeth over her lower lip, blushing slightly at her heated memories.

Feeling her cheeks flush, she jumped up and crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to dwell too much on things that would distract her. Somewhere, right now, Richard was probably fighting for his life against Betto and the loyal guards. She prayed the slaves would rise up and join them in their fight. A fight she wanted to be a part of. Growing restless, Kahlan crossed the stone floor and made her way to the door. Opening it, she slipped out into the dim hall. Tiptoeing on light feet, she walked over to Cameron's room and knocked on the door.

"Cameron, it's me… Kaya," she said when there was no answer, remembering Richard had told the girl not to open the door unless it was him or Kahlan. After a brief pause, the door opened and Kahlan was met by the green eyes of the blonde haired woman.

"Kaya!" she ushered Kahlan inside. "Do you know what's going on? I haven't seen or heard anyone since…" her voice trailed off and Kahlan guessed the woman must be referring to the noises she and Richard had made during the heights of their passion.

"Ric—Rook and Necor are starting a revolt," Kahlan answered.

Cameron's eyes went wide. "What? Are you serious?" she trembled and hugged herself.

Kahlan nodded and stepped over to the girl, giving her a hug. "Don't worry. With Ric—Rook on our side, we will not fail," she said, biting her tongue, not knowing why she was still trying to hide Richard's identity.

"You… you must really trust him," Cameron said, still shaking, as Kahlan guided them over to the bed.

She let out a soft sigh and nodded. "More than I ever thought possible, yes," Kahlan responded, firmly believing it. Out of all the souls she had encountered as a confessor, Richard was the first and only she trusted with all her heart and being. Spirits, she would follow him to the Underworld and back if he asked her. She smiled sadly, wishing that he were there with her. "He has become my reason for living, my reason for getting up in the morning… He's my whole world."

Cameron let out a long breath and stared up at Kahlan with an expression of awe. "I… I never knew such love was possible between a man and a woman. I always thought such things were just fairy tales."

Kahlan grinned. "So did I… until he came stumbling into my world," they eased down onto the bed and Kahlan rested her hands in her lap. "He rushed to my defense when others would have fled. I was in more danger than I would have cared to admit, and even though I've never told him, his assistance was quite helpful and in need."

"So, he was the only one to help you?" Cameron knitted her eyebrows together, looking confused.

"Yes, it's silly, really," Kahlan blushed slightly, remembering how flustered she had felt when he had reached down and grabbed her arm to help her up. No man had ever touched her, at least not to help her. Most men who had tried to touch her were only doing so to try and kill her, and some even wanting to rape her—there was a lot of hostility against confessors, especially for those who felt their loved ones had been wronged by confession. Either way, whenever a man tried to touch her, it always ended badly for said man. But not so with her Richard.

Out of all the men she had encountered, he was the most trusting and understanding, especially after she had informed him of the deadly storm that had lurked behind her diamond blue eyes. And he was also very kind and loving with her, in a manner she had never experienced before, at least not from a man who had not been confessed. The look in his eyes when he gazed longingly at her, thinking she was not looking and would not notice, was often enough to brighten up her entire day. And on cold nights, when they sat around the campfire, his smoldering stares of desire and hunger for her—which, annoyingly, never went unnoticed by Zedd—always seemed to bring her more warmth than the flames ever could.

The connection she shared with her Seeker was deeper than any other Confessor and Seeker before, except perhaps Vivian and Kieran, though Kahlan believed Richard's love for her was more natural and healthier than Kieran's was for Vivian. However, she would be the first to admit that she might just be bias in that regard, especially after what Kieran's spirit had almost done to them in his tomb—using her and her Seeker's body against their will so he could physically love Vivian again. If their love had been pure, he should have been content to reunite with her in the Underworld, as all true lovers do, at least that is what the monks at the temples in Aydindril had told her.

Her thoughts drifted back to her Seeker. Kahlan firmly believed that if Richard had been in Kieran's place, he would never have taken over another's body by force to pull her soul from the peace of the eternal sleep for a fleeting night of passion. In her heart, she trusted that if she should die, Richard would do nothing that would prevent his soul from reuniting with hers in the Underworld. She wanted him to live on, of course, but she could die knowing he would come to her when it was his time.

Feeling her cheeks warm with the love she held for her Seeker, Kahlan turned her head, covering her face with her hair, slightly embarrassed with how pink her cheeks had become. Cameron let out a soft giggle. "You must really love him," she said, "to be blushing like that." She paused and averted her eyes, biting her lower lip. "Plus with how he made you scream last night… it was so raw and… and euphoric sounding. I've never heard anything like that before."

Kahlan's blush deepened and she felt for sure her entire body had turned red with embarrassment at hearing her loud moans of ecstasy from last night being describe by another.

"However…," Cameron knitted her brows together, and narrowing her eyes. "I'm slightly confused, because the two names I kept hearing drifting down the halls were  _Richard_  and _Kahlan_. Were you really with Rook last night, or was some other girl making those screams?"

"Rook is Richard," Kahlan spoke quickly, before she could change her mind, blushing hotly. "And… and my name really isn't Kaya, it's Kahlan."

"So those where your screams," Cameron's eyes grew wide as Kahlan nodded. Then her brow lowered and a cruel smile formed on her lips. "This is good news, to be sure. I've been correct this whole time."

Kahlan knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. Cameron focused her eyes on her, and she shuddered, seeing how the woman's eyes had turned hard and cold.

"You are Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor," Cameron purred. "And he is Richard Cypher, the Seeker."

Kahlan's heart jumped in her throat and fear rushed into her veins. Suddenly Cameron was grabbing her by the neck and pushing her into the bed, attempt to strangle her. Kahlan struggled, startled and stunned. "What… what?" she managed to choke out.

"Shut up, witch!" Cameron sneered, her voice distorted with malice.

She fought back, through one fist up against Cameron's chest, while reaching for the dagger tucked against her side, held up by the string that rested around her waist, which, in turn, kept the flaps of the tunic she was wearing from opening. Thrashing under Cameron, Kahlan was growing dizzy with the lack of oxygen. Her throat ached and she was having trouble breathing. Cameron applied more pressure as a terrible smirk curled upon her lips.

A sudden image of Richard mourning over her limp body flashed into Kahlan's mind, breaking her heart to see the pain and agony her death would cause him. That image, and the thought of leaving Richard alone in such despair, gave Kahlan the necessary surge of energy to fight back and live… if not for herself, then for her Seeker. Her Richard.

Kicking her legs, she managed to dislodge herself from Cameron's hold. Her chest heaved as she coughed and gasped for air. Her legs wobbled as she found the floor beneath her feet and made to run for the door. Cameron roared behind her and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her back. Kahlan let out a cry of pain, feeling the rough tug against her scalp, as she was flung back to the bed. Cameron crawled over her, her fingers trying to gouge out her eyes. Instinctively, because it was really just reflex, Kahlan threw up her hand and grasped Cameron's throat, commanding her powers to release. Too late she remembered the negative field.

Cameron let out a cruel twisted laugh. "I don't know whether or not to be grateful for whatever it is that is keeping magic from working here," she said, her hand slipping beneath a pillow and pulling out an eerily familiar red rod. "It has saved me from the terrible agonizing death of confession, but it also means I cannot use this against you, Mother Confessor."

"You're a Mord'Sith!" Kahlan gasped in horror.

Cameron smirked. "Oh, you're a clever one," she then sneered and pounded the agiel against Kahlan's side. It may have no magic in this region, but it was still an effective cudgel.

Kahlan groaned, guessing the Mord'Sith had just broken one of her ribs. Slightly backing away, Cameron loomed over her, holding the agiel before her eyes. Kahlan stared up at the weapon with lethal hatred, remembering the stinging pain that had shot through her body when Denna had used the vile thing on her.

"It was quite easy, you know," Cameron's word rolled slowly off of her tongue. "To convince that guard to let me slip in amongst the virgins. All I had to do was suck his cock. I would have done more to get what I wanted, but he was too simpleminded to ask. Fool! He even allowed me to bring my agiel. The simpleton thought it was some toy I used at night to pleasure myself." She laughed. "It was all worth it though, especially when that pathetic excuse for a man came in to comfort me… with you peeking through the door. I knew right then that I had you, Mother Confessor. You were mine!"

"Why?" was all Kahlan could choke out.

"I came for you, Mother Confessor," Cameron said with a knowing wink. "After his encounter with you, the Lord Rahl as been itching for a reunion. I hear he wants to make you his wife and queen. You should feel honored that he has chosen you to be the mother of his child… a child that shall have both the gift of the Rahl blood and a confessor's magic. Though," she lowered her brow. "It is a pity you have already been spoiled by the Seeker. The Lord Rahl had wanted to take that from you, but I think he'll make do with you, as you are, Mother Confessor. You've only been with one man, and I'm sure you're still nice and tight, more than enough to please my master."

"I would rather die than lay with him!" Kahlan snapped back, spitting into the Mord'Sith's face.

Kahlan used the moment to her advantage, and pushed back against the Mord'Sith. The two grappled with one another, tumbling off the bed and landing hard on the stone floor. The fall was enough of a shock to make Cameron loosen her grip on Kahlan, and the Mother Confessor seized her opportunity, slipping her hand down to her waist and whipping out the dagger, cutting the string tied around her waist in the process.

However, the Mord'Sith was too fast, and knocked the dagger from her hand, sending it clattering across the floor. They struggled against one another as they both darted out, kicking and pulling, each trying to reach the dagger first.


	12. Chapter 12

Kahlan could not believe Cameron had been able to deceive her so easily. She had honestly thought Cameron had just been another one of the terrified women who had been abducted and sold to Betto. But now, with hindsight, Kahlan could see the clues. The blonde haired woman had made a point of introducing herself to Kahlan. She had then hovered around her whilst they were in their living quarters. And now that reference she had made about confessors in the preparation room while Kahlan was being dressed in the guise of the Creator made more sense, and Kahlan was seeing it in a whole another light. Cameron had been testing her, wanting to gage her reaction. Kahlan chided herself for being so gullible. She had been trained to read people's eyes and body language, yet she had completely failed to notice that there had been a hornet buzzing about her the whole time.

Scrambling for the dagger, Kahlan pushed her admonishing thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. She was not going to allow herself to be captured by the Mord'Sith, especially after she had spent almost a week as a captive of Betto in his sick house of flesh. The only positive thing that had come out of this entire experience was that she had finally be able to give herself to Richard in the way she had longed to since the moment they had first met. And now, here Cameron was, trying to take that away from her. Kahlan was not going to allow that, especially now when their feelings for each other had finally been made manifest and open to one another. She could not live without Richard, and she felt confident that he felt the same about her.

Clawing at each other, they continued to slowly inch closer and closer to the dagger. Kahlan gritted her teeth and suppressed the pain in her side from where the agiel had broken her robes. The red rod was still a highly effective weapon, even without the crippling magic that usually accompanied it. Thankfully, though, it appeared Cameron was more interested in the dagger. Kahlan fumbled for a moment and the Mord'Sith gained ground. Jumping up, Kahlan pounced on her, grabbing the back of Cameron's head and rammed it back down against the stone floor.

Cameron let out a cry and cursed loudly. Kahlan took the Mord'Sith's daze and clambered over her. She was a hair's breath from the dagger, when Cameron grabbed her leg and roughly pulled her back. Kahlan's tunic came undone and her bare skin scraped along the stone floor as Cameron dragged her back. As their struggle continued, Kahlan soon became bare and exposed, her tunic falling behind her as they scampered and fought in their battle for the dagger. Kahlan was too focused on fighting the Mord'Sith that she hardly noticed that she was now naked.

Taking her hand, Cameron rammed it against Kahlan's side, seizing control as agony shut up through her body. Kahlan gasped and let out a cry, shutting her eyes against the pain. The Mord'Sith smirked above her, shoving her to the cold ground and pressing her hand even harder against her broken rib. "That's right, Mother Confessor, scream," she said smugly. "No one can save you. Your Seeker is most likely dead. It is just you and I now."

Kahlan shook her head, unwilling to believe the lies Cameron was spitting out. She kicked her legs and crawled with her hands, distracting the Mord'Sith by tearing at her clothes, ripping the silk nightgown that Cameron still wore from the previous night. The Mord'Sith let out a curse, and pounded her hand with greater force against Kahlan's broken rib. Kahlan blacked out the pain, using all her mental training to block it.

Wrapping her legs around Cameron, she used all her strength to propel them around, spinning them over the stone floor until she was pinning the Mord'Sith, the nightgown laying in taters behind them. Now, both naked and grappling for the dagger, Kahlan was more determined that ever to triumph. She kicked and punched at Cameron, crawling across the floor until her fingers felt the edge of the dagger's handle.

"Come back here, confessor!" Cameron growled, grabbing at Kahlan's hair.

Kahlan clenched her jaw and stretched her arm as far as she could, finally clasping her fingers around the handle of the dagger. Pulling it back, Kahlan spun onto her back and drove the sharp blade into the Mord'Sith's chest. Cameron convulsed and cried out, her hard grip on Kahlan loosening. The confessor took the opportunity and roll away and got to her feet, watching as the Mord'Sith staggered for a bit before collapsing in a pool of her own blood.

Heaving deeply, Kahlan finally became aware of her state of undress. The tunic laid in a ragged heap on the floor, useless. Her body was slick and sweaty from the exertion of the fight, and her legs were coated in blood from the Mord'Sith. All she could do was stand there, still stunned at what had just happened. She had come here to comfort Cameron, thinking that the woman was another victim, when it turned out that she was the snake in the rat's lair, come to find her and take her back to the demon that was Darken Rahl.

Kahlan shuddered at the thought of Rahl making her his queen and bride. There was nothing in this world that would ever make her submit to that vile monster. She, the Mother Confessor, the de facto ruler of the Midlands, would only ever submit to one man, and that man was Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth. He was the only man that could ever bend her to his will, and she would happily obey him, in all manner of things.

It was standing there, chest heaving, over the dead body of the Mord'Sith, that Kahlan realized just how much she loved Richard. She gripped the dagger firmly in her hand, vowing to the good spirits that she would submit to no man but Richard, that she would love and honor him, and him alone, for as long as she drew breath and even forever in the eternal sleep of the Underworld. She would be his confessor for all time, and if she had to use a Rada'Han to do that, then so be it. She would never take a mate, like confessors of the past had. She would take a lover and husband, and be a wife to him for as long as she was able.

XXX

Shivering in the cold, Kahlan collapsed against the wall, hugging herself. She desperately wanted to leave this room, but with her state of undress, she felt compelled to stay. Richard would come back to her. He had promised. He would come. Chewing her lower lip, she gazed down at the lifeless remains of the Mord'Sith. Cameron had been a beautiful young woman and it broke Kahlan's heart that she had had to kill her, but it was either her or Cameron, and Kahlan was not ready to die, not yet. When she was old and grey with countless daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters, not to mention her loving husband, by her side, then Kahlan would be ready to die. But not today, not when there was still a future to look forward to. A future she would promise to Richard, no matter the consequences.

She did not know how long she had sat there, staring blanking at the dead green eyes of the woman who had pretended to be her friend, just that it seemed to be an eternity until she heard shout and cheer drifting down the halls. She heard footsteps and suddenly a figure was blocking the door. Blinking, Kahlan looked and saw Richard.

He immediately came to her, sensing her distress and wrapped her in his arms. She sniffled and buried her head into his shoulder, oblivious to the tears that had started to flow down her cheeks. His hands rested on her bare back and she shivered, still cold, but warming in his embrace. Richard pulled back and grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her, before bringing her back into his arms.

"Is… is it done?" she asked in a wavering voice, still in shock.

She felt more than saw Richard nod. "Yes, Kahlan, it is," he said. "Once the slaves witnessed Necor turn on his former master, they joined us. Betto attempted to flee with the consul and his retinue, but the revolt had already spread to the surrounding village. Betto's dead, all of them… those vile people. They are all dead. According to runners, Septor and Tartum are in an uproar." He smiled. "It appears the Seeker and Mother Confessor are bringing justice to the Angrass Valley."

"No, not me, just you," Kahlan murmured, looking at him and running her hands down his face. "You have done this, not me."

Richard knitted his eyebrows together, seemingly wanting to challenge that statement, but he let it slide with a shrug. He looked down at Cameron's limp body, still surrounded by a pool of her own blood, leaving the question unasked. Kahlan sighed, grateful, and simply eased into him, while he led her out of the room and away from the body of the dead Mord'Sith.

XXX

It was approaching twilight by the time things had settled down. The revelers, flushed with their victory over their masters. Kahlan had trouble celebrating with them, her mind still focused on what had transpired down beneath the villa with Cameron, whom Kahlan had eventually identified as a Mord'Sith to Richard. Though, she managed to put on a smile and was genuinely happy to use her authority as Mother Confessor to officially, on behalf of the Midlands Council, acknowledge the freedom of the slaves.

And she took even more joy in officiating the wedding between Necor and Paullina. The woman was thrilled to be free of the yoke of sexual slavery. Having suffered terribly through submitting to other men, when the only man she ever wanted to be with was Necor, Paullina was quite obviously elated. Kahlan understood and connected with the woman's obvious feelings, having had the same thoughts earlier in the day when she had vowed to be Richard's and Richard's alone for all time.

The veterans, like Alissia, who had been in the business for most of the lives, were not sure what to do with themselves. Kahlan was worried that once the euphoria of being freed subsided that, having done nothing else in their lives, they would slip back into selling themselves at night in the seedy street corners of the big cities. But if that is what they wanted to do, there was nothing Kahlan could do to prevent that. She may not like prostitution, but the Midlands Council had not outlawed it—the slavery of women into the trade, yes, but not the trade itself. If a woman wanted to offer her body for sale, according to the Midlands Council, she had the right to do so.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, Kahlan sat beside Richard during the postnuptial festivities and tried to enjoy herself. They household slaves had provided everyone with more covering clothes, and all the women, even Alissia and her kind, seemed pleased to be able to be fully clothed. Richard had found her a slim white dress that accentuated her womanly curves, yet was modest enough, befitting the person of the Mother Confessor. Kahlan was not thrilled with the neckline, thinking it showed too much of her cleavage, but Richard seemed to like it, so she liked it as well, if just to see the way Richard's eyes light up when he gazed lovingly at her.

When the festivities tapered off, Richard took Kahlan for a walk through Betto's villa. Kahlan was repulsed by the opulence of the place, especially when she looked out the balconies and saw the poverty that surrounded them in the outlaying village. Richard had found her a matching dagger, and she was touched by the gesture, since it was telling of his knowledge of how she relished being able to defend herself, and that he knew her well enough to know the her preferred style of combat required two daggers. Slipping it down to join the other one in a crook along the interior of the boots she was wearing, Kahlan rested her hand through Richard's arm and leaned against his side as they continued their tour. They arrived at the doors to a room that Kahlan was surprised to find Esser and Helios guarding. Richard informed her that when they saw what was going on, the guards had turned against the others and joined Necor.

The two men bowed respectfully to them, and Esser murmured his apologies for earlier in the week when he had almost taken her to a room to "break her" before Necor had stopped him. Helios opened the door for them, and Richard picked the torch up out of its holder and led the way inside.

"What is this place?" Kahlan asked once they were inside and alone, tightening her arm around Richard's.

"Betto's private vault," Richard informed her, moving the torch in front of him to illuminate the dim room.

Kahlan's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she saw a large museum-like room filled with artifacts. The Seeker maneuvered his way through the display cases like he was guiding her through the trees of the forest. She narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lip, looking up at him, wondering what he was up to. Kahlan was just about to ask him where he was taking her when he stopped. She squinted and looked down at the glass case beneath them. Inside, resting on a velvet stand was a silver collar.

"A Rada'Han," Kahlan whispered, her eyes going wide.

Richard clenched his jaw and nodded. "If… if you want, we can take it," he said, almost sounding disappointed if she would.

Looking up at his warm brown eyes, Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat and decided to tell him what she had decided. "Richard," she broached tentatively, afraid she would lose the nerve before she began. "Here we can be together without fear, but out there, beyond the shadow of those mountains, I'd destroy your soul."

For a moment he looked heartbroken, like she was telling him that what they did here needed to be forgotten and suppressed. Kahlan signed and lifted his hand in hers, playing with his fingers. She averted her eyes and took a light breath. "I know you think you're love might be strong enough, but… but I'm not sure. No man as ever loved a confessor, and no man has ever  _been_  with a confessor, in that way, without being confessed."

"But I have," Richard declared, pulling her hand back to place it on his chest. "I've been with you, Kahlan. You've lost control more than once while we've been together."

"Yes," she smiled, blushing. "But that kind of release is different… extremely pleasurable and satisfying, yes, but different. If… if we were to be together outside this valley, it would need to be with a Rada'Han." She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. "So, I guess the question is whether you love me enough to be with me when I must suppress my powers with a magical collar."

"Kahlan," Richard spoke gently, after an agonizingly long silence, slipping the torch into a holder, and brought his hand up to caress her face, his fingers feeling her hair. "If that is how you feel, even if I don't like it, then I'll do as you want."

She blinked and looked up at him, feeling her heart flutter. "You… you will do that for me?"

"Of course I will, Kahlan. I'll do anything for you. I love you," Richard said. He wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head down, capturing her lips in his as he kissed her in a long and tender kiss. It was not heated or passionate, but was still overwhelmingly satisfying and breathtaking. It was a kiss of utter love and devotion, one that told her that he would do whatever was necessary to be with her.

Later that evening, they held a private ceremony with only Necor, Paullina, and some of the others in attendance. There was no official to officiate, so Kahlan did it herself, using her authority as the Mother Confessor, she named Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth, as her mate and husband. They spoke their own vows and pledges to one another, and sealed it with a passionate kiss and a prayer before an altar to the Creator.

Only the few who had been invited as witnesses were aware that the Mother Confessor and Seeker of Truth were husband and wife, affirmed and attested to in the presence of the good spirits and each other. Before, Kahlan had sworn everyone to secrecy. No one must ever know that she had wed the Seeker, because that would only put both him and her in even more danger. Afterwards, they retreated to a private room to be together as husband and wife.

They rolled around in the bed, each submitting to the other, as they passionately consummated their marriage long into the night. Neither Kahlan nor Richard was satisfied devouring the other until the sun broke through the darkness, signaling the start of a new day. And a promise for a brighter future.

THE END


	13. Epilogue

_A Week Later…_

"Kahlan, it's so good to see you again," Sister Leya beamed, stepping aside to let them pass through the opening in the cliff face.

Kahlan grinned and gripped Richard's hand, walking in front of him. "It's good to see you, too, Sister Leya," Kahlan returned the smile and introduced Richard. "This is the Seeker, Richard Cypher."

Sister Leya's eyes appraised Richard like an overly protective mother, her gaze not missing how the Mother Confessor tightly gripped his hand. She let it slide without comment, and beckoned for them to follow. "Well, come inside," she said, waving her hand. Kahlan tugged at his hand, and Richard looked over his shoulder to watch as the gateway closed behind them.

"Sister Leya," Kahlan spoke up in a tentative voice. "I was wondering if you still had a collection of my mother's dresses?"

"Of course," Sister Leya inclined her head. "We've kept good care of them. They are still in your old room. It is as it was when you left us." She stopped and narrowed her eyes, noting that Kahlan's white dress was not a traditional white confessor's dress. She raised her eye critically, looking like a disapproving parent at how the dress Kahlan wore hugged and showed every curve of her supple womanly form, not to mention the generous amount of cleavage it displayed. "Don't tell me you've misplaced your white dress?"

Kahlan knitted her eyebrows together and swallowed. Richard could tell she was hesitant about revealing the truth about what had happened. So, being a good husband—though a secret husband, because no one was supposed to know—he relieved her of that burden. "We were caught in a mudslide after the rain, and dragged along for a couple of miles till we were able to get ourselves out of the flow. Her dress was ruined, beyond repair. So we just left it behind, hoping that if any D'Harans should happen to stumble upon it, they'd assume she had been killed or captured already."

Leya nodded, seemingly buying his hastily concocted story. As the old woman turned around to continue, Kahlan glanced up at him and mouthed a silent  _thank you_  and gave him a long look that promised to reward him later. They ate supper with the Sisters and their wards, and were reunited with Renn. The Listener was thrilled to see them, and gave them both fierce hugs. He then backed up and looked at them with that funny glint in his eye, the same he got when he was poking around in their minds, reading their thoughts.

"You've told each other, right?" he asked, quietly, sensing that they wanted things to be quiet, and knowing he did not need to say anymore than that for them to know what he was talking about.

"Yes, Renn," Kahlan inclined her head with a shy smile, blushing slightly as she reached over to interlace her fingers with Richard's. "We've told each other."

Renn smiled, and declared himself to be the best matchmaker in the entire Midlands, which earned a laugh from both Richard and Kahlan. After dinner, Sister Leya showed Kahlan to her old room, which was like she had said, exactly has it had been when Kahlan had left all those years ago. The Sister of the Light turned to take Richard to another room, when Kahlan stopped her, and, very uncharacteristically brazen, declared that it was not necessary, that the Seeker would be staying with her. Richard noticed her blush the moment she spoke, realizing that hidden implications about what she intended to do with the Seeker.

Sister Leya caught on, having already seen them holding hands. She gave Richard a cool glare. "You better treat her right, young man," the old woman said with a smirk.

Richard flushed, more with embarrassment than annoyance at being accused of doing anything less than he already did for the woman he loved more than life itself. Kahlan was his whole world and he would never do anything to hurt her, because to hurt Kahlan would mean harming his better half.

"Ah! Look!" Kahlan grinned, after they door was closed, pulling a green blanket up off the bed. She spun back at him smiling like a little girl as she hugged the blanket to her chest. When she noticed his questioning look, she smiled at him. "This was my favorite blanket when I was a child here. I would take it with me when I went on hikes in the woods. You know, in case it got too cold." Kahlan nuzzled her nose into the fabric and she practically glowed.

"We should take it with us, then," Richard offered with a smile, setting down their pack.

Kahlan looked up at him with bright eyes. "Yes, we should," she winked. "It would give us something to snuggle under after we've made love."

Richard let out a breath, caught off guard by the hunger in her eyes. "We… we should get ready for bed," he said, silently wanting to get her into bed as quickly as possible.

She nodded absently, returning to the peaceful memories of her time in Thandore as she hugged the blanket tighter to her chest. As Richard went about turning down the bed, Kahlan looked through the wardrobe and found one of her mother's spare white confessor gowns. It looked exactly liked the one that had been lost when they had been taken captive by those marauders. Richard made a crack about confessor gowns growing on trees, which justifiably earned him a playful smack on his chest. But the glint in her eyes caught his breath with the hidden message they held, reminding him of the reward she had promised him for helping with Sister Leya when they had arrived earlier that evening. Richard turned back and bolted the latch on the door, so they would not be disturbed. Kahlan rifled through her new pack and whipped out the Rada'Han, raising her eyebrows and grinning mischievously.

"Ready to make love to your Confessor, Seeker?" she asked, her voice low and husky as she stood.

"No," Richard replied, taking the collar from her hands as she raised her hair up in her hands. "But I'm ready to make love to my wife, even if no one else but me knows she's my wife." He placed the collar around her slender neck, hating that this was the only way she would let him be with her. However, that was not going to prevent him from making love to her. If this was what she wanted, then he would do it, until he could convince her the silver collar was not required.

"Well then? What are you waiting for?" Kahlan grinned as she begun to undo the folds of her dress. Richard let out a heavy breath and leaned forward, kissing her lips as he clasped the Rada'Han shut.

XXX

The following morning, still looking somewhat disheveled from their fierce and passionate love making, Richard and Kahlan left the protective walls of Thandore to continue their journey, hoping to catch up with Zedd. It had been nearly half a month since they had seen the old wizard, and to tell the truth, they were both a little worried about him. They held hands for the better part of the morning as they hiked through the hills and dales. At the edge of a forest, they stopped for lunch. Richard gazed longingly at his confessor, his  _secret_ wife, and basked in how beautiful she looked in her confessor's gown. She looked up at him and smiled coyly.

"I'll go scout up ahead," she beamed and went running out before he could say anything.

Richard stood and shook his head, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Though, he had to admit, he did like the new dynamic that had developed between them since their private union. After taking care of the fire and cleaning up their camp to hide their presence, Richard set out after his confessor…  _his wife_. Though as he walked through the woods, he was completely unaware that a deadly predator was stalking him. He was prey and he did not know it. He ducked his head under a tree branch and stopped, narrowing his eyes, listening for any sounds that might guide him to Kahlan. It was deathly silent, except for the normal chirping of birds and buzz of insects.

Sighing, he continued on, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched from above. Suddenly it came down on him. Something hit his back and caused him to collapse to the forest floor. He rolled and swirled around, reaching for the hilt of the Sword of Truth. Using his momentum, he jumped up on his feet, freeing the sword from its scabbard ready to do battle with whatever foe had dared to attack the Seeker. When he looked up and saw a goddess dress in white, crouching in an attacking posture, his eyes softened and a smile began to form on his lips.

"What are you doing?" Richard asked, smirking, seeing the mischievous glint in her brilliant blue eyes.

Kahlan raised one dagger and twirled the other around in her hand. "Oh," she laughed slightly. "I thought you wanted me to keep you sharp!" Her tongue ran seductively over her top lip that Richard could not help but groan, remembering the magic she had worked with that tongue the previous night. She laughed and came at him.

Richard grinned and raised his sword to meet her attack. The distinctive ring of steel filled the air as his attacker laughed maniacally and launched into her attack. Steel flashed against steel as he fought off her daggers. Kahlan spun around gracefully, in fluid movements that were captivating. Her white dress flowed around her, cut up in the movement of the air, adding to her already transcended beauty, which was only heightened by her sprightly laugh and girlish grin.

He halfhearted lunged at her with his sword, not really trying to hit her. Kahlan grin grew wide, and she brought her daggers up to deflect his blow causing his sword to rise above his head. She crossed her daggers, locking the blade in place, as she raised her hands up above her head, preventing him from bringing the sword back down.

"I didn't say kill me," Richard chuckled. "And when I said that last night, I was talking about something else."

Kahlan moved her daggers to cut his back and he moved the sword with her, blocking her strike, protecting his back. "Well, if I got that close to killing you, apparently, you need practice," she gave him an amazing grin that caused his entire face to light up with joy. He moved a hand and put it on her breast, causing her a moment of distraction. He used it and pushed her back, spinning her around and bringing his sword around her. Kahlan raised her daggers and held off his blow. Her back to him, Richard found himself enthralled by the scent of her hair.

She kicked his shin. He let out a stunned grunt, and jumped back, watching as she spun around laughing, swinging her daggers at him. He dodged them, chuckling, finding this very enjoyable. He rarely got to see this playfully side of his Kahlan, and he found that he liked it.

Kahlan stopped before him, flipped a dagger in her hand and jabbed at him, all the while grinning wildly. He caught her wrist in his strong hand and held her arm back. As he raised the sword and swung it towards her, Kahlan leaned back, and Richard could not help but stare at her breasts as she arched her back to avoid the strike. Spirits, her dress hugged her curves so perfectly.

Kahlan used his moment of distraction to come at him again, but he was more than prepared this time. He caught her daggers with the Sword of Truth and captured her from behind, holding her back to him. This dance of sword and daggers was almost sexual. Richard could feel the flush of arousal coursing through his body, and judging from the look in Kahlan's eyes, as she turned her neck to look back at him, he thought she was feeling the same thing.

She spun out of his hold and then they were face to face with each holding their respective weapon poised for a lethal blow. They're breathing was heavy and both had flushed cheeks.

"I got you," he managed through panting breaths.

"No, I got  _you_!" Kahlan smirked, pushing her dagger closer to his throat.

Richard let out a light chuckle and gazed at her heaving chest. "Kahlan…?" he said in a heavy voice. Her eyes softened, knowing what he was going to ask before he spoke it.

Kahlan lowered her eyebrows and chewed on her lower lip. "Richard… we… we've already discussed this," she said. "Until we find a way past my powers, we use the Rada'Han when… when we're intimate." She blushed.

He sighed and gave a nod of his head, conceding, at least for the time being. Richard suddenly thought of something and frowned. "Do we tell Zedd?"

Kahlan shook her head, almost going pale. "No… better not. Let… let's keep it our little secret," she suggested. Seeing his dejected look, she gave him a soft smile. "If you ever doubt my conviction, just remember the vows I spoke to you that night."

Richard gave a nod, releasing some of the tension in his arm so that he would not accidentally cut the woman he loved, though would never completely give herself to him without that collar around her neck. "Just the same," he said, looking down for a moment. "I wish you didn't have to wear that collar."

Kahlan smiled sadly. "So do I, Richard," she murmured.

With the sweat on her face, and the sunlight drifting through the trees, she looked like an angelic spirit. Richard took a deep breath and held back his yearning to kiss her. Kahlan was right. They had to keep this a secret. If the information they had gathered from the village was correct, Zedd should be around here somewhere and they would continue their quest to rid the Midlands of Darken Rahl, and everything that happened in the Angrass Valley, including their marriage, had to be kept a secret. Though, he silently wished that one day their secret marriage could be made public. Perhaps when they defeated Rahl and had freed the Midlands from his tyranny, Kahlan would consent to that. He wondered what they would do if Zedd started to push her to take a mate, would they tell him then?

Richard opened his mouth, to ask her, when he was suddenly interrupted by a familiar loud chortle. They both spun their heads around and Kahlan visibly blushed bright pink.

"I leave for a fortnight and you two are at each other's throats," the old wizard laughed, noticing their weapons poised in lethal positions.

"Zedd!" Richard was overcome with happiness to see the old man. Kahlan laughed with him, both trying to hide their embarrassment, having been lost in a conversation about things meant to be kept secret, at least for now. Kahlan lowered her daggers and moved past Richard to give the wizard a hug.

"One more day and we were going to come looking for you," Kahlan quickly breathed out, trying to hide her pink cheeks as she buried her head in the wizard's shoulder. Zedd smiled and returned her hug, looking over at Richard with his keen eyes, as if he sensed something.

"So," Zedd said, after Kahlan backed up to stand by Richard's side. "Anything interesting happened while I was gone?"

Richard and Kahlan exchanged a quick look between each other and both desperately tried not to blush. Tucked away in Kahlan's pack, hidden beneath her favorite childhood blanket, was a shiny silver collar, and they were both worried that the wizard might find it one day, when he rummaged through her pack looking for food. Zedd narrowed his eyes, seeming to sense something was up. He folded his arms across his chest and gave them both a hard glare.

"All right you two, no games," Zedd growled. "What's happened?"


End file.
